One Hundred Ways To Say I Love You
by brennansboys
Summary: A series of Finchel drabbles based on the Tumblr post by p0ck3tf0x: "One Hundred Ways To Say I Love You."
1. Pull over, let me drive for a while

**Welcome to my new series of short Finchel drabbles based on "One Hundred Ways To Say I Love You", 'cos I thought it was cute. It does have quite a lot of links with my other story "it's always better when we're together", but you don't have to read that one for these to make sense. I've written twenty of these so far, eighty more to go...**

 **DISCLAIMER: Glee does not belong to me, neither does the Tumblr post that inspired this.**

It's December 21st and Finn and Rachel, with Ava and Chris sitting in the back, are driving down to Lima to spend Christmas with their parents. They go back pretty much every year and it's a nice tradition. Although they hated Lima back when they were teenagers, they can now appreciate the slower pace of life (especially compared to New York). Finn is still a country boy at heart, too, and loves showing Ava the woods, playing tag with her in his parents' large garden and splashing her in the nearby lake. He's so looking forward to doing these things with his son as he grows.

Since Chris is too young to fly, they decide it would be best to drive down to Lima, leaving horrifically early (5am!) in order to avoid the traffic where they can. It's a nine hour car journey and Finn is only five hours in. They've been stopping regularly so Rachel can feed Chris, they can go to the toilets and Finn can stretch his legs.

Rachel glances over at her husband. She can practically see the exhaustion emanating from his body. His eyes have small bags beneath them, he fidgets incessantly which Rachel knows means he is suffering from back ache and he keeps having to move his legs around the confined space to get rid of his cramp. She puts her hand on his shoulder and traces circles there. He lets out a moan of pleasure.

"Finn, you're tired, exhausted, I can tell," she says, her voice soft and caring, "let me take over for a couple of hours."

"What? No. I'm perfectly fine," he responds, his urge to protect her kicking in. She'd been busy that week, busier than he had, with recording her album among other things, accompanied with a two month old child, she's just as drained as he is.

"No, Finn, you can't. You need to take a break, have a little sleep. You can't drive the entire way, it will not do your back or your eyes any good," she insists. "Also, the longer you drive, the more your concentration diminishes and you become a hazard to us and everybody around you. Do you want that?"

"No! No. Of course I don't bu-."

"Good. Then pull over, let me drive for a while."

He sighs deeply and leaves the interstate at the first opportunity. He stops at a diner and gets out of the car. He checks to see if the kids are still sleeping; they are, thankfully, and he kisses Rachel's cheek as they switch seats. He'd never say it but he was feeling worn down and his wife, his beautiful, perfect wife, didn't even have to ask, she knew instinctively that she needed to take over the steering wheel.

"Thanks," he says with a smile as he looks over at Rachel.

"You're welcome, Finn," comes her reply. She presses down on the accelerator as she re-joins the interstate and settles into the seat more comfortably. She peeks over at her husband five minutes later to discover him fast asleep, snoring lightly.


	2. It reminded me of you

**Decided to post the second one straight away because I'm way too excited about this story. I hope you love reading it as much as I'm loving writing it!**

Rachel grins as her phone beeps with a notification. She knows who it is, who it always is. She grabs for the device and reads the simple _hey_ from her boyfriend.

 _Hi, Finn,_ she types back. _How are you?_

 _Great. U?_

 _I'm wonderful, Finn. All the better from hearing from you. I've missed you today._

 _Me 2 babe._ He normally messages or rings her in the mornings, but he'd been forced to go out on a "family excursion" and strictly no phones were allowed, so they could really bond and appreciate the time they were spending together. _I brought you something._

 _What? You shouldn't have!_

 _Its cool Burt paid me this week. I wanted 2 anyway bc u r awesome_

 _**It's, Finn. Remember, correct punctuation is important even in informal conversations such as this one!_

 _Yeah whatever. U want to know what is is or not?_

 _Go on then,_ she replies. Her curiosity about said gift grows. He quite often buys things for her, despite her arguments, and they're always really thoughtful and amazing. Like, a couple of months ago, he bought her this lipstick she'd been talking about for months, and just last week he'd bought her a vanilla cupcake scented candle because hers had burnt out and he knew it was her favourite and for her birthday he somehow managed to get a signed Barbra Streisand picture and not just one of those ones you can buy online, her idol had written her a personal birthday message, as well as a comment about how cute Rachel's boyfriend is. She cried.

She is brought out of her reverie as Finn's next text comes through, then another, and another.

The first is a picture of the present. It's a white mug adorned with gold stars all over it.

 _It's for drinking that herbal tea that you love. I know you old favourite mug just broke so._

 _Rach? Do you like it? I can take it back if you don't and buy u something else. They had one with dolphins - that was my second choice bc I know u love dolphins_

She is unable to hide her smile.

 _I love it, Finn! It's soooo pretty!_

 _I have the best boyfriend ever._

 _Glad u like it :) It reminded me of u :)_

 **So, what do you think of the first two chapters? Let me know in the reviews!**


	3. No, no, it's my treat

**DISCLAIMER: Glee does not belong to me.**

Finn wraps his arm tighter around Rachel's waist, pulling her further into his side, as the cool Lima wind blows down the street and Rachel shivers. His girlfriend is already wearing his jacket, having forgotten her own, but is somehow still cold.

Slowly, they stroll down the main street, when Finn spots a coffee shop. "Want a hot drink to warm you up?" He asks and Rachel nods, her eyes lighting up with delight. Finn leads her towards the shop, only removing his arm from her at the last possible moment, right before they walk through the door. Rachel visibly relaxes as the door shuts and they are out of the wind, already starting to warm back up again. They head towards the counter.

"What can I help you with?"

"He'll have an espresso," Rachel says easily, looking at the menu board, trying to decide what she would like.

"And she'll have a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, please," Finn tells the barista, before Rachel can speak. She turns to him, a little in shock. "Also, she'd like a vegan white chocolate cookie, they're her favourite."

"What?" He asks as he glances at Rachel to see her mouth open in a small "o".

"That's _exactly_ what I was going to order. How did you know that?"

He shrugs. "I know you, Rach."

He turns back to the barista as she places the two drinks and chocolate goody on the counter. Finn utters a "thank you" and takes out his wallet.

"You paid for lunch, Finn! It's my go to pay," Rachel argues, seeing this.

"No, no," he says without question. "It's my treat."

"That'll be $8.99," the barista recites, smiling slightly at the cute couple.

Finn gives her the appropriate notes, plus a little bit extra for the tip, then takes their items and walks towards a free table in a private corner of the shop. Rachel follows, gazing at him in awe.

 **If you liked this chapter, give me a little review. Pretty please? :)**


	4. Come here, let me fix it

**DISCLAIMER: Glee doesn't belong to me, unfortunately.**

It's a typical morning in the Hudson house.

With five kids, all of which spend the day in different places, weekday mornings are chaotic, to say the least.

Finn is finishing feeding the baby, listening, amused, as Ava stomps around shouting "where is my favourite blue top? You know the one with the elephant on the front?" The twins are ready to go and Chris is just tying up his shoelaces, it's just Ava delaying the family. He hears Rachel enter their eldest's bedroom, rummage through her wardrobe and then come downstairs, his wife looking rather smug and his daughter red-faced.

"I guess you found it," he chuckles at Ava's chagrin.

"Straight away!" Rachel gloats, ruffling Ava's hair, earning a glare in response. "Right - everybody ready?"

When they all say yes, Rachel comes round to give Finn a goodbye kiss. He stays at home on Tuesdays with Noah while Rachel ferries the kids to and from their respective schools, since she works tutoring kids in singing and piano lessons at the twins' school, as well as giving classes in performing arts from time to time.

Finn hands her the new black winter coat he brought her for her birthday, since it's cold out, and Rachel puts it on, buttoning it up. When the fabric sits unevenly, Rachel tries it again, receiving the same result and letting out a noise of frustration.

"Hey, come here," he tells her, pulling her closer to him. "Let me fix it."

Smoothly, he unbuttons the coat, fiddles around with it, and does it up perfectly. He smirks confidently, proud of himself and Rachel shakes her head, almost disbelieving.

"Thank you." She pecks his lips, ignoring the disgusted sounds from their children. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." He kisses her again. "See you later. Bye, guys," he adds in his kids' direction, offering a small wave. The twins enthusiastically wave back, while Ava just mutters "whatever" and walks out the door.

He laughs. Teenage girls, eh?

 **Sorry if these stories are a on the short side(although it does say drabbles in the title). I just don't have a lot of time right now with college/applying to university and these little snapshots of their lives are so much easier to write for me. And I am still planning on adding one-shots to "it's always better when we're together", which will be a little longer.**

 **Anyway, what do you think of this chapter? Leave me a review! Thanks guys :)**


	5. I'll walk you home

**DISCLAIMER: Glee isn't mine.**

It's late out and Rachel's curfew is fast approaching.

Disappointedly, Rachel points out that she had probably best be getting home, not wanting to make her curfew even earlier. She enjoys the feel of lying next to Finn, her head on his chest as they "stargaze". (Finn isn't doing much stargazing, however, instead choosing to watch his own little star, learning every detail of her beautiful face. She catches him a few times and lightly slaps his chest, a bit embarrassed, but he carries on anyway.) She doesn't want to leave him.

She reluctantly sits up, sighing, crestfallen, at the loss of contact and begins to pack up her things. Finishing up, she turns to her boyfriend and kisses him, first short and sweet, but then progressing to more passionate.

"I really should be going," she says eventually, after several minutes of making out, Finn's hands gripping her hair bringing her back to her senses.

"Yeah. Ok. I'll walk you home."

"No, no, you'll need to be getting home soon as well," she frets, not wanting to be responsible for him missing his curfew and potentially being grounded.

"Rachel," he says firmly, standing up and putting his hands on her shoulders. "It's dark out. You really think I'm going to let you walk home alone?"

"But-."

"No buts. I'll give my mom a quick ring, let her know what I'm doing, ok? I'm not going to risk anything happening to you. Besides, I think your dads would kill me if I didn't accompany you home and I'm very happy with my life, thank you very much. Not going to jeopardise that."

He takes her hand, laces their fingers together and then begins the walk towards Rachel's house, one he knows very well.

Rachel smiles the entire way home.

 **Review? :)**


	6. Have a good day at work

**DISCLAIMER: Glee belongs to Ryan, Ian, Brad and FOX, not me. Don't own the Jets, either.**

Finn has loved football his entire life.

He remembers playing with his dad before he died, he and Puck used to hang out at each others houses, watching the NFL with each other all the time as children and at high school, being the star quarterback.

He never could have dreamed he'd turn his passion for the sport into a career, though. And neither could anybody else.

He was always told it was very unlikely he'd make it in the sport professionally, "there's just too many people who want to make it, and not enough availability for them all, Finn," Mrs. Pillsbury had told him.

But thanks to the unwavering support of his mom, Rachel and Mr. Schue, his dream had turned into reality and he'd become one of the most successful quarterbacks of all time for the Jets.

He'd had an unbelievable career and it physically hurt to retire. He hadn't wanted to, but his wife was there for him, supporting him as always. So were his kids. He was offered a position as a commentator and had snapped up the opportunity like that, glad he didn't have to be apart from the sport he loved for too long.

Today is his first day.

As he sits at the breakfast counter, listening to Abby chatter away about school, Rachel comes downstairs, looking as beautiful and radiant as always.

"Morning, babe," he says, interrupting his daughter to kiss his wife, earning a huff of annoyance from Abby. His eyes glint with amusement as he just shakes his head at her. Like mother, like daughter.

"Nervous?" Rachel questions and he shrugs,

"A little. But that's only to be expected, right?"

"Yes, it's perfectly normal. You'll be great, Finn," she promises. "Oh and I've set the programme to record so I can watch my super hot husband tonight when I get back from the show!"

His cheeks redden as he mutters, "Rach," and looks pointedly towards their daughter.

She lifts her hands, as if to say go ahead and adds, "when has our presence ever stopped your PDA before?"

He supposes that's a good point.

Half an hour later, after sharing breakfast with his family, he's ready to go to the studio - he's going in earlier than he usually would, since it's his first day.

He hugs his kids and they each wish him luck. He reaches Rachel who kisses him again, then embraces him tightly.

"Have a good day at work," she tells him when they finally separate and flashes him an encouraging smile.

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	7. I dreamt about you last night

**DISCLAIMER: Glee isn't mine.**

He wakes up expecting to find his wife still fast asleep beside him, but instead her eyes are wide open.

She smiles at him and simply states, "I dreamt about you last night."

"Um- w-what?" He stutters. "Seriously? What was it about? I didn't die, did I?"

"You think I'd be smiling if I dreamt that you died?" She asks. "No, Finn. It was amazing!"

"Are you ever going to tell me about this oh-so-wonderful dream?" He teases, nudging her in the side.

"We had kids. They looked like mini-Finns, except they acted exactly like me. They were so adorable and you were so adorable _with_ them. You were playing football with the little boy and singing with the little girl and..."

Finn stares at her, a wide smile forming on his face as he listens to his wife discuss their future.

"I want a baby, Finn."

Finn's mouth falls open as she drops _that_ bomb.

"W-what? A b-baby? _Our_ baby?"

"Yes," she giggles at his dumbstruck expression and kisses his cheek. "I know we're young, but we _are_ married and this dream made me really want to see you with our children."

"Are you s-sure?"

"Definitely. I want this, Finn. I want a family with you." She pauses. "Don't you?"

"Of course I do!" He says quickly, lifting her chin so she's looking directly into his eyes. "You know I do. But we're young... And I never had a father, not really, I'm scared I wouldn't be good enough for our child..."

"No, you'll be a fantastic dad," she promises. "And yeah, we'll make mistakes, but we'll learn from them. And we can help each other out, we have our friends, our family... We could do this, Finn."

His mouth lifts into a half-smile. "Ok."

"Ok?" She falters. "So we're doing this? We're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby!" Finn replies excitedly.

 **I'm going away tomorrow night for the weekend for my 18th birthday, so I thought I'd post 2 since I won't be online again until Tuesday!**

 **If you enjoyed them, leave a review? ;)**


	8. Here, take my seat

At seven months pregnant, Rachel feels exhausted all the time.

Her bump has grown huge and she's experiencing painful back ache, as well as the need to go to the toilet all the time, thanks to their daughter constantly pressing against her bladder.

They're over at Carole and Burt's house and Rachel has just returned from baby shopping with Kurt, who'd insisted on checking each and every clothing item Rachel liked, not wanting any niece of his inheriting Finn and Rachel's "truly disgusting fashion sense".

She waddles into the room, her hand resting on her belly, and all attention shifts to her. She hugs Carole and giggles happily when Burt talks to her bump. She glances around the room, seeing no empty seats and sighs a little. Her feet are _killing_.

Almost as if he can read his wife's mind, Finn leaps off the sofa. "Here, take my seat."

"Thank you, Finn," she says gratefully, pecking his lips, mindful of the fact they're surrounded by family.

"Anything for the mother of my child," he grins in response, placing his hand over hers on her belly. His grin widens as he feels a kick, still ridiculously excited whenever he feels any movement from their child.

 **I've been crazily busier the last few weeks with applying to university (I got an offer from my favourite, yay!), college work and I've actually had somewhat of a social life lately (what?!). Because of that, I just haven't found the time to upload... But now here I am! Since it took me so long to update, I'm going to post an extra two chapters for you guys. :)**

 **[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**


	9. I saved a piece for you

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee does not belong to me.**

Rachel texts him, informing him she'll be late for dinner. He replies immediately, saying they're (him, Kurt and Blaine) only ordering in pizza, so it's not like she'll miss much. He doesn't mention it to her, not wanting to make her feel guilty, but he does wish she were there. It's been a week since they secretly eloped and he wants to spend every minute with his wife. Unfortunately, with rehearsals for a show she's starring in almost tripling as they near opening night, that's not possible.

He waits up for her.

When she enters the apartment at around eleven pm, she finds him lying on the sofa, his eyes closed. He looks so peaceful that she can't help but just stand and watch him for a little while.

Deciding that his back would not appreciate the firm sofa in the morning, she walks over and shakes him awake.

"Hey," he mumbles, giving her a kiss. He runs his hands through her curled hair. "You look pretty."

"Thank you, Finn. You look tired, we should go to bed, you have to get up early tomorrow."

"Wait," he says. "I saved a piece of the pizza for you. I knew you'd be hungry when you got back..."

He makes his way into their tiny kitchen, sleep be damned, and removes the pizza from the fridge. He pops it into the microwave, warming it back up for her. While this is happening, he grabs her a plate and fills a glass with cold water.

She kisses him appreciatively when he places the pizza in front of her at the table and digs in. He sits next to her and listens intently as she discusses everything that happened in her day.

When she finishes, he places the plate and glass in the sink (he'll wash them in the morning) and together, they retire to the bed, ending the long today curled up in each others arms, like always.

 **Review?**


	10. I'm sorry for your loss

**Okay, this is the last upload for today... we're 10% of the way through. Yay! Hopefully I'll have more time this week to post a couple more chapters. *crosses fingers*.**

 **[DISCLAIMER] Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy, not me, otherwise Finchel would have got married at the end of season 3 and lived happily ever after. ;)**

Finn and Rachel are best friends.

They have been forever.

Their parents are best friends, too, and consequently, they spend almost all their time together and have done since young childhood.

They're now thirteen and their friendship is still going strong.

Finn knocks at the Berry's front door. It's a Thursday afternoon and he and Rachel _always_ hang out on Thursday afternoons. They laugh and joke and watch re-runs of Friends and Rachel will help Finn with his homework, while Finn teaches Rachel how to play football.

This time, when Hiram opens the door, a concerned expression etched on his face, Finn knows it will not be like that today.

"Monica's dead," the older man tells Finn sadly. Monica is Rachel's cat she's had since she was five. Finn knows Rachel adored her and he also knows his best friend will be heartbroken. He determines to comfort her.

"Can I come in, Hiram?"

"Of course, Finn, but I'm not sure if Rachie will be in the mood to play..."

"Don't you worry about that," he promises. "I'll have her smiling in no time."

He climbs the stairs two at a time, then turns left, towards Rachel's bedroom. He raps his knuckles against the door. "Rach? It's me."

When she doesn't respond, he walks in anyway, spotting her lying in bed, her hair mussed and her face blotchy from crying. He is quickly by her side and engulfing her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry for your loss," he tells her and feels her hug him back tighter.

"I l-loved her s-so much," she blubbers, fresh tears falling down her face.

"I know, I know, so did I. She was a great cat. She was great. You know what will make you feel better? Having a proper burial for her. We can watch Funny Girl together afterwards and eat all of your favourite foods! What do you think?"

"That sounds wonderful, Finn," she says and he smiles proudly. He wipes the tears off her cheeks, then, and puts on her favourite episode of Friends, knowing that always cheers her up.

They have the burial the next day. Rachel cries. Finn holds her hand supportively the entire time. Afterwards, they watch Funny Girl, like he promised, and eat from a large bowl of popcorn. Rachel lets out a laugh, her first in days.

Hiram and Leroy look on with a smile.

 **Leave a review?**


	11. You can have half

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

It's common knowledge that Finn Hudson loves food. He loves all varieties: Chinese, Italian, Indian, sweets, savouries, but pie... Pie might just be his ultimate favourite.

It's also common knowledge that, like Joey from Friends, Finn does not share his food.

His mom makes him an apple pie and he rapidly tucks into it, devouring the contents of the plate in a matter of minutes. Carole shakes her head, chuckling softly, and gives him another, slightly larger piece. As she hands it over to him, she takes her fork and takes a small section of the pie. Finn looks scandalised, as though she's stabbed him or something.

"Mom, what do you think you're doing?"

"Having some pie. You can't eat all of that yourself, surely..." He shoots her a glare and says, his tone firm,

"My pie."

Carole doesn't ever try again.

When Ava comes into his life, she's constantly trying to steal chips off his plate without him noticing. He doesn't say anything, because her cheeky expression is so adorable and so _Rachel_ , he can't resist her. But when she attempts to take some of his meat pie...oh, that's war. He gently taps her hands and tells her "no", moving his plate further away from her. Rachel giggles at him and pinches a chip.

She's very pregnant, and craving pie, so when his wife sneaks up beside him, a fork in hand, he gives her a horrified look.

"You're craving my pie. Seriously?" He questions, feigning annoyance. (He could never be annoyed with Rachel while carrying a mixture of the two of them, a culmination of their love).

"I'm afraid so," she says, resting her hand on her protruding stomach. "Are you going to share your pie with your heavily pregnant wife who loves you very much?" She bats her eyelids and he laughs openly, throwing his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to his side. He sticks his plate out towards her, and then, in a unforeseeable situation, says,

"You can have half."

Rachel grins and begins eating off his plate.

He absolutely hates sharing his food, but sharing it with Rachel? That's not so bad.

 **Review?**


	12. Take my jacket, it's cold outside

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **This chapter is a prequel to chapter 3.**

It's a cool November afternoon and Rachel is getting ready for a date with Finn. She looks outside her window and chooses a new, cute dress. Since it looks pretty sunny outside, she throws on a light cardigan, forgoing a winter coat.

She's just putting the finishing touches to her outfit when she hears the doorbell ring and her fathers answer it. Immediately the most important men in her life strike up a conversation, making Rachel smile slightly. She loves how well they all get along.

She swipes on her lipstick (Finn's favourite shade on her) and puts on her shoes. She then throws her lipstick, a bit of cash and her phone into a small clutch and hurries downstairs, as fast as she can in heels, excited to see her boyfriend.

He's excited to see her, too, if his wide grin as she descends the stairs is anything to go by.

"Hey," she greets him, her cheeks flushing as he kisses her in front of her fathers.

"Hi. You look pretty," he comments,, admiring her knee-length dress and braided hair. "Aren't you going to be cold though?"

"I'll be fine," she promises, giving Hiram and Leroy quick hugs, before the two teenagers leave the house. How cold can it really be anyway?

Very, it turns out.

They've only been outside for five minutes and Rachel is already freezing. She shivers as one gust of icy wind blows past them. She looks up and Finn, who's clearly fighting an "I told you so" smirk. She glares at him.

He stops them for a moment, removes his jacket and then, in his most chivalrous voice, says, "take my jacket, it's cold outside."

She shakes her head at him as he chuckles, obviously enjoying being right about something for once. She takes his jacket regardless.

It's enormous and Rachel practically drowns in it. Finn helps her roll up the sleeves though, and Rachel snuggles up in the warmth.

Finn's eyes twinkle playfully as he admires her in his clothing. She looks great in it (better than he does, which is slightly irritating, but whatever). When he tells her so, her smile is so bright and beautiful he falls in love with her all over again. She begins walking down the street and Finn snaps a quick picture of her on his phone, uploading it to instagram with the caption "my girl".

He really loves her wearing his clothing.

 **Review**?


	13. Sorry I'm late

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

He's just sitting down to dinner, Ava in the highchair next to him, most of the food already smothered across her cheeks, hands and front. He sighs; he's going to have to give her a bath and his daughter detests water, throwing a fit whenever to try to wash her hair. She always resists a little less when Rachel's around, but still. She gets pretty fussy.

His wife is at rehearsals for her new Broadway show (Finn is going to opening night next week. He hasn't seen Rachel perform in ages, since before the baby, and he's so looking forward to it) and she's been working late every night this week. He checks his watch. Only four more hours to go until she should be home.

They finish their dinner and Finn takes Ava up for a bath. As expected, the six month old kicks a fit and soaks her father with soapy water. Eventually, he manages to clean off the remnants of food and changes her into pyjamas. He cradles her in his arms for a while, softly singing lullabies until her eyes droop. He kisses her head, whispers how much he loves her and then gently places his daughter in her crib. Two and a half hours to go.

He decides to wash and dry all the dishes, clean the kitchen and pack away all of Ava's toys in the living room to pass the time. Plus, Rachel always feels happier and more relaxed when their home is clean. Once finished, he removes a beer from the fridge and relaxes in front of the TV, watching his favourite show. Half an hour to go.

He's drifted into a light sleep when he feels a small, familiar body curl against him and kiss his lips.

He smiles against said lips.

She's home.

He opens his eyes to find his wife smiling back at him, looking exhausted but beautiful, as she always does (the beautiful part, that is).

"Sorry I'm late," she murmurs.

"What time is it?"

"Just gone midnight. Sorry," she apologises again at his admonishing look. "I couldn't get away."

"I know but it's going to make you ill, Rach..." He worries. "And me and Ava missed you."

"It's Ava and I, Finn." He rolls his eyes; she's always correcting his grammar. "I missed you both, too."

He presses his lips against hers. "What do you say we go to bed? It's late."

"Ok." She smiles as he takes her hand and leads her to the bedroom, stopping to check in on Ava on the way.

 **Review? :)**


	14. Can I have this dance?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

They're at Kurt and Blaine's wedding reception.

Rachel is happily chatting with Carole about her pregnancy when she feels a hand tap her shoulder. She turns around and smiles when she sees who it is.

"Can I have this dance?" Her husband asks, grinning as the DJ switches the music to a slower song.

She nods and takes his hand as he guides her to the dance floor. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her close and she raises her arms so they're around his neck. There's practically no space between them as they sway to the music, content to just hold each other.

They share a sweet kiss. Rachel spots Carole filming them and beside her, their daughter, Ava, jumping up and down, anxious to join her parents. Rachel giggles and Finn gives her a confused look. She points him in the direction of the little girl, a perfect mixture of the two of them, and he laughs, too.

When the slow song finishes, Ava glances up at Carole, as if to ask permission. When her grandmother nods, Ava rushes towards Finn and Rachel. The former smoothly lifts the three year old into his arms.

"Wanna dance with mommy and daddy, baby girl?"

"Yeeeaaah," she says excitedly, eliciting laughs from both parents.

Finn positions her against his hip and Rachel holds one of Ava's hands as they do a weird little family dance that's totally out of time to the music, but they don't care.

 **Review? :)**


	15. I made your favourite

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"Good morning, my bride," Finn says as Rachel enters the kitchen, still half asleep. She was awoken by the smell of something cooking and then, when her husband wasn't in their bed, she came to the kitchen to investigate further.

"What're you cooking?" She asks, sidling up behind him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Breakfast. I made your favourite - eggless tofu omelette." He turns around and pecks her lips, then continues to prepare the food. Meanwhile, Rachel makes the coffee and sets it out on their breakfast bar.

"Kurt and Blaine out?"

"Yeah, they didn't come home last night - they're staying with friends or something. So we have the place to ourselves, _wife_ ," he grins, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, really, _husband_?" She giggles. They only eloped yesterday and the new titles still fill them with excitement. "Interesting..."

"Hey, no funny business until after this breakfast I slaved away over for you!"

"Whatever." She watches as he plates the food and places it in front of her.

"Voila!"

"Mmm, this is amazing, Finn!" She says appreciatively. She absolutely adores his cooking, especially when he cooks with her in mind, always making her most favourite (and vegan, which isn't easy) dishes. They sit in a comfortable silence as they eat and Rachel gives him a kiss in thanks afterwards. "That was fantastic," she complements again. "I need to go take a shower now... Care to join me?"

 **Review?**

 **That's the last upload for today. I hope you don't mind me spamming, I'm just going to be busy over the next few months and I want to finish this story for you guys while I can!**

 **Thanks for all of your lovely comments, I really appreciate it. :)**


	16. It's ok, I couldn't sleep anyway

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

His phone beeps with a new text message. He groans, rolling over and reaching for the device. He squeezes his eyes shut; the light that emanates from the phone dazzling him. When he has acclimatised to the light, he reopens his eyes to find the message is from Rachel. A jolt of panic rushes through him: what is Rachel doing texting him at this time of the night? Is she ok? Are the kids ok?

 _I miss you_ , it reads.

He smiles, despite the ungodly hour. He appreciates having somebody in his life who always cares about where he is, how he's doing, if he's ok. _Me 2_ , he types back. _Missing the kids 2. How r they?_

 _They're good! They just miss their daddy. They watched you play tonight. (You were great, by the way, baby! Go team! ;) And you looked extremely attractive, especially in those pants...)_

He grins. Rachel has expressed her love for his football uniform on numerous occasions.

 _Did they wear the kits I got them?_

 _Of course!_ She replies, tacking on a picture of Ava, Chris and Rachel in football jerseys.

He stares at the picture for a while, zooming in on each of his beautiful family members. He saves the picture and changes it to his wallpaper.

 _Cute! I'm a very lucky guy! ;)_

His wife responds " _yes, you are_ " and it's so Rachel Berry that he laughs out loud.

 _I didn't wake you up did I? I didn't mean for you to reply straight away!_

 _It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway._

 _You're not just saying that to appease me, are you, Finn?_

 _No, no, of course not,_ he responds, after he googles what "appease" means. _I never sleep well when you're not next to me. You know that._

 _Me either. I can't wait for you to come home. What time does your flight leave tomorrow?_

 _9AM. I should probably try to get a couple of hours..._

 _Yes. Good night, Finn xx_

 _Night, Rach! See you tomorrow. xx_

As he closes his eyes, the picture of his small family is engrained in his memory and he falls to sleep with a smile on his face.

 **Review?**


	17. Watch your step

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

For Rachel's twenty-first birthday, Finn decides to take her on a trip to England. She's always wanted to visit, but never has and Finn thinks this is the perfect opportunity. They spend the first few days in the capital, seeing the sights, going shopping, he even surprises her with tickets to see Grease on the West End.

After that, they travel to the north of the country because, while London is great, they live in New York and it's nice to escape the large metropolis environment for a while. He takes her to the Lake District and they are both taken aback at the natural beauty of the place. They settle into a nearby B&B and then decide to go for a hike.

They walk slowly, hand in hand, admiring the landscape. Finn snaps lots of pictures of the hills and lakes and the sun setting. He takes plenty of Rachel, too, her tiny figure surrounded by the wild around them.

They reach a particularly steep and craggy area and Finn's grip on her hand tightens. Although they're both in walking shoes, he tells her to watch her step, his tone worried.

She shakes her head, letting out a light laugh at her husband and his overly-protective ways.

She wouldn't have him any other way though.

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	18. Here, drink this, you'll feel better

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee, the Jets or Brooklyn Nine Nine (by the way B99 is the best show ever and I cannot reccommend it enough!)**

She wakes up to the sound of her boyfriend coughing. It sounds horrible and painful and her heart clenches as she thinks about how uncomfortable he must be. Rolling over, she smiles sympathetically at him.

"Morning, baby."

"Morn-." Cough. "Morning Ra-." Cough. "Rac- hel."

She goes to kiss him, but he pulls away sharply.

"I don't want you to get sick," he croaks.

"I don't care about that. I want to kiss my boyfriend." She reaches for him again, earning herself a glare. She sighs and settles for kissing his temple. A worried expression makes its way to her face as she feels his feverous forehead. Without explaining what's she's doing, she rushes out of bed, leaving Finn in her wake, coughing up a storm, his face wearing a confused look.

She returns ten minutes later, a tray of remedies in hand.

First, she takes his temperature. 104. She's taking him to the doctors today, whether he likes it or not. She gives him some medicine for his cough, too.

"Here, drink this," she says pushing forward his Jets mug, filled with a soothing tea and a drop of honey. At his disbelieving look (he's a coffee guy and she knows it), she adds, "you'll feel better. There's even a splash of cold water so it's ready to drink straight away!"

After a moments hesitation, he takes a sip of the tea and, ok, the instant relief it provides for his throat _is_ pretty good.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Finn," she responds, switching on the TV and beginning the latest episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

She cuddles up next to him, once he's finished his drink, despite his qualms, and they laugh together, enjoying their favourite show. Later, they'll go to the doctors to get him checked out, but for now, they're both enjoying just lying together, Rachel looking after her sick patient.

 **Review?**


	19. Can I hold your hand?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

They're fifteen and tall, awkward Finn is developing a _major_ crush on his beautiful, ridiculously talented best friend.

He tries to be subtle about it, he really does, but pretty much everybody knows by now, even their parents. Well, everybody with the exception of Rachel.

He spends almost all of his free time with Rachel and hangs around with her during Glee Club, too, even though he's a football player and that's "totally uncool." Whatever. He likes being with Rachel. She makes him laugh.

He asks Puck, his male best friend, for advice, but it's a waste of time. He says something crude and Finn scrunches up his face in disgust.

"I don't just want to hook up with her, dude. I want a relationship with her, where we kiss and go on dates and hold hands and one day, hopefully, get married and start a family," he explains.

Now is Puck's turn to look disgusted.

Finn sighs. "Never mind."

He discusses it with his mom over dinner (who squeals a little bit when he openly admits that he _like_ likes Rachel). Carole advises him to just tell her how he feels and that he'll be pleasantly surprised.

"It's obvious Rachel likes you, too, baby."

"It is?" He's dumbfounded. Rachel likes him back? How hasn't he noticed?

The next day when he sees Rachel waiting at his locker, he takes a deep, stress-relieving breath, and heads towards her. Her smile is broad and cheerful when she sees him and he grins back, his charming half-smile making her heart jump in her chest. He decides to just go for it.

"I like you," he says the moment he arrives in front of her.

Rachel's mouth drops open.

They're both silent for a while and his smile falls, a gaping hole forming in his chest.

"I mean, I really like you. In a more-than-a-best-friend-kinda-way. You're still my best friend, obviously. You're the best best friend in the world and I love you-. I-. Crap. I didn't mean to say that so soon. I'm already freaking you out. I-."

She cuts off his rambles by pressing her lips to his. When she pulls away, she smiles and says,

"I really like you, too. In a more than a best friend kinda way."

"You do?" A grin is inching its way onto his face.

"Of course. I have for years."

"Why didn't you say anything?" He questions, shocked.

"Same reason you didn't. I was afraid. I didn't want you to say no or us to break up and ruin our friendship."

He embraces her tightly.

"That will never happen, Rach. We will _always_ be best friends, no matter what. I swear to you." He kisses her. "However… I would prefer to be your boyfriend than your best friend."

"YES, Finn," she exclaims loudly, excitedly, earning a few looks from classmates in the corridor. They don't notice, too invested in each other.

"Walk to class with me?" she asks when the bell rings.

"Can I hold your hand while I do it?"

"Yes," she says, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as he entwines their fingers.

As Finn walks down the corridor with _his girlfriend_ , he feels like the man. A sense of happiness and, well, pride, overcomes him when he uses the word "girlfriend" in relation to Rachel. He doesn't think he'll ever get over that.

 **Did you like this chapter? Let me know in the reviews! :)**


	20. You can borrow mine

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **CHAPTER 20! Eighty more to go...**

They have finals next week and Rachel rings him in a panic, saying she's lost her History notes.

Rachel is the most organised, prepared person he knows. She's never lost schoolwork, like ever, especially not before a huge test. He attempts to calm her down to no avail; she's also the most anxious person he knows. He can hear he breath shortening and the pitch of her voice rise, something she always does when she's about to cry.

"Rach. Rachel. Rach, babe. You can borrow mine. My History notes. Ok? You can have them. I'll come over right now, alright? We'll study together," he says soothingly as she has a panic attack on the other end of the line. He grabs his backpack with his History notes inside and his car keys and rushes out of the house, his phone in hand. He shouts a quick explanation to his mom, then slams the door behind him.

Inside the car, he places his phone in a safe place and puts it on speakerphone. He turns on the engine, puts the car into first gear and drives away.

He speaks to her as he drives (he knows he shouldn't but his girl is panicking, ok?) It doesn't ease her sobs. He presses his foot on the accelerator a little, careful not to go too fast, just enough to get to Rachel slightly sooner.

He arrives minutes later, uses his key to the house and heads towards his girlfriend's room. He enters and immediately engulfs her in a hug. She squeezes him tightly and he squeezes back to reassure her that, yes, he's there and she's going to be ok. He strokes her hair and presses light kisses to her temple, mumbling how much he loves her.

After a while, her panic attack dissipates and she lets go of Finn.

"Thank you," she sniffles, wiping her eyes.

"You're welcome. Hey, here, take my notes, while I go make us some drinks and snacks." He hands her the folder and gives her one last kiss before he goes downstairs.

They end up spending the whole evening studying together, testing one another on different historical events. If Finn gets the date of the event correct, Rachel has to give him a kiss, and vice versa. Finn really enjoys this particular study method, to be honest.

 **Review? :)**


	21. You might like this

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee does't belong to me.**

 **This is a two-parter, so the next chapter will be posted immediately after this. :)**

They're going to college in the fall, Finn to NYU, Rachel and Kurt to NYADA. Since they'll be living in the "fashion capital of the world", Kurt insists that Finn and Rachel need whole new wardrobes.

First, he deals with Rachel.

They buy a couple of pairs of skinny jeans, in varying shades, and numerous cute tops and jackets that are _not_ adorned with animals of any kind. Kurt made sure of that. The tones are much more muted than Rachel's previous wardrobe, but Finn thinks she looks stunning in everything she's bought and tells her so. It boosts her confidence a little and she smiles brighter for the rest of the day, so he thinks he's done a good job.

She has five large shopping bags (Finn carries all of them for her, being the chivalrous boyfriend he is) and is starting to tire. Shoe shopping is last on Kurt's list for Rachel "for now", his brother adds ominously. It's taking a while because Kurt and Rachel can't seem to agree on anything. They've already bought her a pair of knee-length black boots with a heel that Rachel looks _fantastic_ in, but she wants something more casual and comfortable to wear day-to-day. Finn breaks away to look by himself.

He heads to the converse section, sees a cute pair of bright red ones and is drawn to them. They're very _Rachel_ and it'll add a splash of colour to her now very monotonous clothing selection. He picks up another pair in her size, this time in white.

He returns to his girlfriend, tells her "you might like these" and shows her both pairs of shoes.

She loves them and he grins, proud of himself. He insists on buying one pair for her and Kurt looks away, appalled, when they start kissing in front of him.

"Don't look too happy there, Finn," Kurt says as they walk out of the shopping centre, surrounded by bags. "Next week it's your turn."


	22. It's not heavy, I'm stronger than I look

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **Part two... It's Finn's turn!**

Kurt sticks to his words and the next weekend, he takes Finn shopping. His brother wakes him up at 7am; they need to be there early, apparently to beat the other shoppers to the bargains. Finn just groans and makes Kurt listen to sports on the radio as he drives to pick Rachel up, then onwards towards the shopping centre.

"You need new jackets," Kurt begins. "It gets cold in winter and I shall not be seen with you wearing those God-awful puffy vests."

Finn shakes his head, inwardly offended ( _"those puffy vests are nice, what does everybody have against them?"_ ) but he decides to go with it anyway, knowing Kurt won't shut up unless he does.

He tries on a couple of things and Rachel runs her hands down his chest, bites her lip and whispers in his ear, "you look very attractive right now."

He buys all of it.

His birthday money is running low and he can only buy a couple more things. Kurt grabs some shirts and then they're done. Finally.

Finn's arms are full, leaving Rachel to carry the rest of the items. The large bags overwhelm her slight frame and, almost reading her boyfriend's mind, Rachel says indignantly,

"It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look."

His glance is uncertain.

She carries on towards Finn's car, struggling with the load, despite what she tells him. She wants to help him with anything she can (particularly since he does so much for her) and lifting some bags for him are just one of those things.

When they eventually reach the car, she drops the bags into the trunk, sighing in relief. Finn kisses her, once he's put his stuff away, because he knew they were too heavy for her.

"You're so stubborn," he tells her, chuckling softly.

"You wouldn't love me any other way," she grins and gets inside the car.

He supposes that's a good point.

 **Review? :)**


	23. I'll wait

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee or any of the musicals mentioned.**

He's just finished football practise and Rachel is still rehearsing the play that she's starring in. She texts him saying it could take up to another three quarters of an hour and he should just go home, she'll walk.

 _No. I'll wait. :)_ he replies.

He settles into the seat of his truck and glances around. It suddenly dawns upon him how Rachel-fied his car has become.

Inside the CD player is the Wicked soundtrack, with the Funny Girl, Lion King and Once albums scattered around, too.

On the seat next to him is Rachel's favourite hoodie. It used to be his, so she practically drowns in the material, but she looks adorable in it. The fabric smells so much like her now, it's intoxicating.

There is sheet music (lots of it), a bag she likes to store in here and a change of clothes.

She'd stopped short of decorating his truck with sparkly gold stars, although he wouldn't be surprised if she actually did that one day. He doesn't even think he'd be mad. He'd just find it super cute. He always finds Rachel super cute.

He hears a knock on the window, jumps out of his skin and then spots his girlfriend on the other side of the glass. He hadn't realised it had been that long. He unlocks the door, allowing her in. She drops into the car seat, her bag falling at her feet.

Large sections of her hair are sticking out of the ponytail she'd pulled her brunette tresses into, her make-up is mostly gone and she's dressed in leggings and a simple oversized shirt.

"You look great, babe," he compliments. "Wanna come over this afternoon?"

"Yeah, sure. And thanks," she says, kissing his cheek before he puts the truck into gear, releases the handbrake and drives off. "I appreciate you waiting for me."

"Of course, Rach. Always."


	24. Just because

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

After training he drives to the closest store. It's been a while since he and Rachel have had a meal together, just the two of them, so he decides to buy her favourite foods and cook her a nice dinner.

He phones his mom before he gets out of the car, asks if she'll look after the kids tonight. (They moved closer after Finn and Rachel started a family, wanting to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They save a fortune in childcare, it's _great._ )

" _Of course, Finn!_ " His mom is a little (read: a lot) obsessed with her grandchildren. She can't get enough of them. She takes pictures _constantly_ ("they're too cute not to," she justifies) and eagerly takes care of them at any opportunity. " _What are you doing tonight?_ "

"Gonna cook for Rach," he says.

She worriedly asks him if it's a special occasion that she's forgotten about, like their anniversary or something.

"No. No, it's just because." Carole smiles at the other end of the phone – she's raised a good one. "I love her, you know? And we haven't had date night alone in weeks and she's been working so hard, she deserves it."

" _You're a very good man, Finn_ ," she tells him proudly. " _What time are you bringing the kids over?_ "

"Five-ish? Is that alright?"

" _Wonderful. I'll see you then, baby. Love you."_

"You, too, mom," he replies and then hangs up the phone. He pockets it and gets out of the car, heading for the automatic doors.

Pushing around a large trolley, he picks up Rachel's favourite vegan food. He normally cooks himself a separate meal with meat but he knows Rachel loves it when he goes vegan for her, so tonight he determines to only eat his wife's ultra natural, ultra healthy crap.

When he reaches the floral section, he picks out some stargazer lilies, Rachel's favourite.

He then pays for all the groceries, loads them into the car and drives to his kids' schools to pick them up.

Ava claps excitedly when he tells them they'll be spending the night and grannie's and grandpa's. (She's seriously so much like Rachel he can't believe it). They already have clothes and toiletries at his mom's house, so he drives straight there and drops them off.

He gives out kisses and cuddles and then departs, heading home and beginning preparations for the meal.

When Rachel arrives home an hour later, she is greeted with the smell of fresh cooking and grins. She enters the kitchen and wraps her arms around her husband from behind, kissing the back of his neck.

"What's this for?" She questions, spotting the numerous pans.

"Felt like cooking for my wife," he replies, flashing his half-smile and making Rachel more than slightly giddy.

She feels immensely lucky to have somebody like Finn in her life, who'll prepare her a romantic dinner on a whim, just because he loves her.

So, so lucky.

 **Review? :)**


	25. Look both ways

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **I don't know if this one counts since Finn and Rachel don't technically say it to each other, but I really like the outcome so *shrugs***

It's a Sunday and they're spending the day together, as a family. Rachel pushing Chris' pram and Ava toddling along next to Finn, her hand encased tightly in his.

It's a beautifully warm summers day in New York and they decide to go for a stroll in Central Park, which has always been one of their favourite things to do in the city. The atmosphere is so much more relaxed and the leafy environment feels a world away from the urban metropolis.

As they reach the crossing to enter the park, Finn's grip on Ava tightens.

"Remember what we have to do every time we cross a road, baby girl?"

"Look and listen!" Ava replies dutifully.

Rachel, watching her husband teach their daughter, smiles at the cute moment.

"We look both ways, don't we, mommy?"

"We sure do!" She says automatically.

The lights switch to the walking man and they proceed to cross the road with the rest of the crowd. The parents make sure to look left and right, as you can never be sure in this city, even if the lights give the pedestrians right of way. Ava copies them and Finn shoots Rachel a proud grin. He did that. He taught her that. His heart could explode with joy and pride.

They spend the rest of the afternoon in the park, Finn and Rachel playing with their children. Naturally, they attract the attention of other people. Rachel overhears an old woman say, "look at that beautiful family" and positively _beams_.

They buy four ice cream cones because it's warm out and Ava pulls out those puppy dog eyes that he cannot refuse. Chris ends up with it all over his face and some in his hair (don't ask Finn how his son manages it, he has no idea). He chuckles as he wipes the melted chocolate ice cream from the little boy's chubby cheeks as his wife does the same to Ava. Rachel struggles to keep Ava still as his daughter dances round, a huge smile on her face.

He can't help but smile, too, loving simple days like this with his perfect little family.

 **Finchel's kids saying it counts, right? Right?**

 **Hope you like this chapter! :)**


	26. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **To make up for a few days without an upload, here's a long one... I don't think you can even class this as a drabble...**

"I'm sorry, Rach," he says, knocking their bedroom door. "I didn't mean to upset you."

No answer.

He groans inwardly. After years with Rachel he knows that when she gives him the silent treatment, he is _really_ in trouble.

He knocks the door again. "Please let me come to bed, baby. It's late."

She opens the door and he jumps a little, surprised at her speed/the fact that she was actually listening to him.

Her hand is resting against her growing bump, her hair piled in a messy bun and her face sad.

"Hi," he says.

"Hello."

"Can I, uh, come to bed?"

"Only if you say I'm right." She moves her hand from her bump to her hip, giving him the look he dubs her "schoolteacher look". It can be quite scary.

He goes to roll his eyes, but he figures that would land him in even hotter water and swiftly decides against it.

"Rach. I'm not gonna…"

"Say. I'm. Right," she repeats, raising an eyebrow, daring her husband to disagree with her six month pregnant self.

It's such a dumb argument, but it's one they've had repeatedly over the course of her pregnancy.

What to name their first child.

It's a girl, they already know that, and ever since the ultrasound they've been brainstorming girls names, but they can't agree on any of them.

("Emily?" He suggests.

"No, too common. What about Francis?"

Finn scrunches up his face. Francis Hudson? No. "Maya?"

His wife shakes her head, continuing to flick through the baby name book. "What about some variation of Carole? Like Caroline, or something. That's pretty and your mom would love it."

"Maybe for her middle name. I want her first name to be _hers_ , you know?"

"So we're back to square one?" She sighs, her hand falling to her bump as she feels a sharp kick.

"I guess so," he says, his hand joining Rachel's, getting distracted by their daughter's movements and forgetting the search for baby names).

As Rachel's pregnancy progresses, she becomes increasingly anxious that they haven't named their baby yet. Finn reassures her it's ok, as do her family, but nothing works.

That morning, she informs Finn that they have to come to a decision re: their daughter's name by the evening.

They debate it all morning while Finn gets ready for training and all day via text.

Rachel keeps returning to one name. Barbra. She loves it. Finn, well, he's not convinced. (Screw it, he's being polite. He hates the name and flat out refuses to name his child after Rachel's favourite actress.)

"Why can't we name her Barbra, Finn?" His wife says immediately as he gets in from work.

He sighs. "I just… I don't like it. She's my daughter, too, shouldn't I get a say in her name?"

"Since I'm the one actually giving birth, I think that allows me an extra vote on the matter. And besides, what's wrong with the name Barbra? Why don't you like it? Do you not like Babs?" She gasps, horrified.

"I do like her, you know I do. I'm just not sold on the name, that's all. I mean, Barbra Hudson? Come on, Rachel, be reasonable, that makes he sound ninety-two."

"I resent that accusation! Barbra is a beautiful name – way nicer than Finn! What kind of name is that?"

"You don't mean that. You're hopped up on hormones and being ridiculous." He drops down onto the sofa. Expecting Rachel to join him, he's surprised when he doesn't feel the familiar body curve into him. He looks over his shoulder, watches as Rachel storms out of their living area and into their bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her, the click of the lock feeling like a slap in the face.

He switches on the TV, giving his wife some time to cool off and become rational again. When it reaches ten pm and she still hasn't unlocked their bedroom door, he feels a little worried.

When she eventually opens the door and stands there, demanding he say she's right, he shakes his head.

"No. We need to make this decision together, Rach, and we still have three months until she's born. That's plenty of time," he reassures her, inching closer. He takes it as a good sign that she doesn't back away from him. "Heck, some people don't even choose a name until they meet their kid."

"I know, Finn, I just… I want to feel as prepared as possible."

His face softens. "We will be. But he name should be something we _both_ love."

"You're right."

"I'm sorry I said you were being ridiculous."

"I'm sorry I kicked you out of our room."

A small smile creeps onto his face. "So we're ok?"

"We're ok," she replies, feeling the tension leave her body as he embraces her. "And you can come to bed."

They carry on the debate about their daughter's name until the day she's born, much to the amusement of their family. Rachel suggests Barbra a dozen more times, Finn refusing each and every suggestion.

When their daughter is born and Rachel is holding her for the first time, her tiny face so beautiful and innocent, she says, "Ava Carole Hudson."

Finn grins, choosing not to mention the fact that he said Ava _months_ ago.

She suits the name wonderfully.

"Ava Carole. Perfection."

 **What do you think? Let me know in the reviews!**


	27. Try some

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't Glee.**

Rachel decides that she wants to become a vegan at the age of sixteen when she watches a documentary about the mistreatment of animals. She sobs into Finn's shoulder for half an hour afterwards and vows never to touch an animal-based product.

Finn, an avid meat-eater, has no idea the type of foods vegans eat, other than fruit and vegetables, obviously. He's not convinced he wants to either, after he sees the salad Rachel brings into school, accompanied by a gross looking green juice.

"What the hell is that?" He asks, nodding in the direction of the juice.

"It's a kale drink."

Finn looks blank.

"You don't know what kale is, do you, Finn?"

He shakes his head.

She giggles.

"It's kind of like cabbage, with green or purple leaves. It's one of the healthiest vegetables there is," she explains. "This is just kale blended into a juice; it's delicious, try some."

He eyes the weird looking liquid wearily. "I don't think so."

"Why not? It's good for you. I drink it all the time."

"You do?"

"Yes, Finn. It's so healthy, you should try it – it might benefit your sporting activities."

She hands him the bottle and he takes of the cap. He sniffs it, scrunches up his nose and proceeds to take a small sip.

Considering how little he drinks, his reaction is rather oversized.

Rachel can't help but laugh at him. "I thought I was supposed to be the dramatic one."

"That is awful!" He exclaims, disgusted. "How can you like that crap?"

"I could say the same to you about meat."

"Good point," he concedes. "Sorry, Rach, but I don't think I'll be joining you on a vegan diet any time soon."

Despite Finn's hatred for vegan foods, a few days later, when Rachel is over at his house, she raids his fridge and finds a whole section of vegan foods, including the infamous green juice, labelled "for Rach". She shakes her head, wondering how she managed to find such a wonderful person to spend her life with.

 **Review?**


	28. Drive safely

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me, neither does FRIENDS.**

It's safe to say that Finn is a very overprotective boyfriend.

It's not a bad thing, per say, it's just because he truly cares about her and doesn't want her to ever get hurt.

However, he can go quite overboard.

Every time she gets into her car to leave his house, he kisses her goodbye and says, "drive safely", making her promise she will. He also asks that she let him know that she gets home, even if it's just a one-worded text message. He likes to know she's ok.

Whenever there's the _slightest_ draft, he will remove his jacket and give it to her. He doesn't want her to get cold.

(Plus, he loves how she looks in his clothes).

If, God forbid, somebody criticises her performance in Glee, he will flip out and demand to know the reasons why they didn't like it. He then gives them fifteen reasons why they're wrong.

Being slushied is still a regular occurrence at McKinley, especially for Glee Club members like Rachel. Since Finn plays with the jocks responsible, he often tries to get them to stop, but he just ends up with a face full of icy cold drink himself.

He's standing beside Rachel at her locker when a group of hockey players saunter up to them, each with a slushie in hand. There are a total of five. Before Finn even notices their presence, all five drinks have been thrown at his girlfriend, leaving her sputtering for air.

A wave of anger overwhelms him.

He grabs the closest one by his jersey, slamming him into the wall of lockers. He gets right into their face, glares, and says he better not go near Rachel again. He lets go before he gets himself into trouble and then watches, helpless, as Rachel slumps to the girl's bathroom, changing into her third outfit that day.

Being overprotective makes him feel less useless, but in this situation he still feels pretty lost about what to do.

He's spoken to the hockey players that slushie her, Principal Figgins and various other teachers and still, nothing.

He determines to do something special for her to cheer her up.

He decides that evening he'll cook her favourite foods and they can watch old episodes of Friends together. That always makes her smile. Although, he likes to think that he's partly responsible, too.

He prepares a bowl of chocolate strawberries using the best vegan chocolate he can find (even Finn has to admit that it tastes delicious) as well as various other foods.

He takes her down into their "movie room" in the basement and they curl up together under a blanket, watching season five of Friends (her personal favourite). He sees her face visibly relax and the sad expression replaced with a light, happy smile, in turn making him grin. He kisses the top of her head and whispers,

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Rach."

"Friends really helped. Thank you," she murmurs appreciatively.

"You're welcome." He drops another kiss on her head and rests his chin there.

He comes to realise that he'd do anything for Rachel, to ensure her happiness and keep her safe. The overprotective feeling doesn't dissipate, if anything it grows stronger as they spend their lives together.

 **Can you tell I love Friends? Lol**

 **Leave a review, please!**


	29. Well, what do you want to do?

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

It's the summer between junior and senior year.

Finn and Rachel are _bored_.

Within two weeks, they seem to have exhausted all of the interesting and exciting activities Lima has to offer and now they have nothing else to do.

"I want to do something," Rachel says out of the blue as they lie on the sofa, Rachel's head resting on his chest.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I've been meaning to organise my bedroom…" She bites her lip. "We've been so busy that I haven't had time. But now…"

"Seriously?" He questions, quirking an eyebrow. "That's how you want to spend your holiday? Tidying?"

"Yes, Finn! Also, I can't reach the boxes at the top of my wardrobe and you," she strokes his arm where the sleeve of his t-shirt cuts off, revealing his muscles, "you're nice and tall. And strong."

He shakes his head.

Only his girlfriend would _enjoy_ tidying.

He sighs, resigned to spending his day stuck in his girlfriend's room going through her stuff.

"Ok, let's do it."

"Yay!" She squeals, kissing him happily. "Thanks baby!"

She gets up, pulling him with her, clasping their hands and dragging him behind her as she climbs the stairs towards her bedroom.

Finn looks around. If this is Rachel's idea of "disorganised", God knows what his room looks like.

She immediately gets started on her chest of drawers, trying on all her tops and throwing away old ones that no longer fit or she just doesn't like anymore. Finn respectfully covers his eyes each time she gets undressed, but after the third time, she giggles and tells him it's ok. His day improves drastically after that.

Having minimised her clothing collection, she begins digging through boxes and boxes of stuff.

(Finn brought down the ones from the top shelf and Rachel very much appreciated the way his muscles flexed as he did so. Her excited kisses gave her away and they spent the following twenty minutes making out on the floor, before Rachel determinedly tore herself away, straightened her shirt, pulled up her hair and got to work.)

They get distracted again, although this time by old pictures of themselves.

They find ones of them as toddlers at a wedding, as young children on presumably their first day of school and, more recently, their junior prom.

Finn's grin widens as he picks up a particularly cute one.

Rachel, seeing his smile, peers over his shoulder, her chin resting there as she stares, transfixed, at a photograph of the two of them as babies.

They're lying next to each other in super-adorable animal onsies and Rachel swoons at Finn's chubby cheeks, while Finn can't help but marvel at Rachel's baby smile.

"I hope our kids look as sweet as you," he says casually.

He doesn't even realise what he's said for a few moments until he notices Rachel hasn't replied. He glances over at her to find a look of shock plastered on her face.

 _Oh._

"I mean… I…"

"Don't you dare apologise for that, Finn Hudson," Rachel finally says, interrupting his stammered speech.

"What?"

"Don't apologise for saying you want kids with me. Please. I… I'm glad you… You think about that kind of stuff, too," she smiles shyly. "It surprised me at first, but God… Having kids with you – that look like you? That would be _incredible_ , a dream come true."

"Really?"

"Of course, Finn. I want everything with you. A house, marriage, children. Maybe a pet, or two." She pauses. "Don't you?"

"I do. So badly," he admits.

She kisses him, the baby picture left forgotten in Finn's lap.

He thinks spending the day tidying Rachel's bedroom isn't so bad after all.

 **This story has reached 60 reviews - thank you so much! All of your lovely comments make me so happy and I really appreciate them!**

 **I hope you're enjoying the story so far - leave a review for this chapter? :)**


	30. One More Chapter

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"One more chapter."

Rachel laughs softly at their daughter's insistent demand. She glances at her husband, who smirks at her, his eyes sparkling. They both know who she takes after.

"Baby, it's late, maybe tomorrow," Finn tries to protest, but she pulls out the puppy dog eyes, with a high-pitched "ppplllleeeeaaassseee" and his walls collapse. He can't deny his precious little girl.

He reopens the book on the last page and begins to read to her. It's a book about fairies, or something, his mom bought it for her and she loves it. She's demanded Finn and Rachel read it every night this week.

Ava is curled up on his chest as they lay in her bed, Finn's legs hanging over the edge. Rachel is next to them, watching with hearts in her eyes as her two favourite people in the world continue to amaze her and somehow get cuter every day.

The four year old's eyes begin to drift shut, she appears to fight against it for a while, but Finn soothingly strokes her hair and eventually she succumbs to sleep. He lies with her for a while longer and, once he's confident she's in a deep enough sleep, slips out from underneath her.

She looks so peaceful, so innocent, as they pull the covers over her body and, in turn, lightly kiss her temple.

They quietly leave her room and enter their own, getting ready for bed.

Rachel removes her make-up, takes down her hair and changes into a loose top that used to belong to Finn.

Finn takes a quick shower to wash away the day, washes his hair and reunites with his wife at the sink as they brush their teeth.

It's a routine they've perfected over their many years together and Rachel anticipates crawling into bed with him, spooning into his shirtless chest every night. It feels comfortable, like home. and she feels incapable of describing the happiness that washes over her at the feeling of domesticity.

Rachel takes out her book she's been reading and giggles when Finn imitates their daughter, saying, "one more chapter, pleeeaaasseee!" Tears are welling in her eyes she laughs that hard and he grins, loving the sound.

"Night, Rach," he whispers when her giggles have eased, kissing the back of her head.

"Goodnight, Finn," she replies and snuggles closer to him, feeling perfectly content.

 **We've reached chapter 30! Hope you enjoyed this one - let me know in the reviews! :)**


	31. Don't worry about me

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **I guess this one is a little bit more angsty than the others, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

Football is a violent game.

Finn is one of the lucky ones, he doesn't often get injured, but when he does… Well, it's bad.

Rachel grips onto his jersey tightly as she sits in the ambulance next to him (his hands are preoccupied with various needles). She listens as the paramedics talk amongst themselves, the conversation filled with medical jargon she doesn't understand.

She knows enough to know his injury is serious, though.

And scary.

She feels panicky and takes deep breaths, although it does nothing to calm her nerves as her brain runs through every possible outcome of this situation. It lands on "death" for a single moment, but she knows she's being irrational and stupid and focuses on Finn's face, brushing that idea out of her mind.

Normally, Finn is the only person who can calm her (apart from their son and daughter, although neither are with her right now, staying with Kurt and Blaine, away from the hospital and the overwhelming media attention for as long as possible). Her husband is unconscious, having suffered a head injury when an opposition player basically dived _on top of him_. Finn was knocked out almost immediately.

She feels the ambulance pull to a stop and the doors open. Reluctantly, she lets him go and his gurney is wheeled away, leaving her behind, dumbstruck.

"Where are they taking him? What's wrong with him? What's going on?" She interrogates the ambulance driver who reassures her that Finn's condition hasn't changed, although he's still critical and she should wait in the family room, they'll update her as soon as they can.

She does just that, hugging Carole tightly when the elder woman rushes into the waiting room. They don't let go for several minutes, both women hanging on to each other as if their lives depend on it, both worried sick about one of the most important men in their lives. They separate when a nurse approaches them and listen apprehensively as she describes Finn's condition.

"He should be waking up soon, so if one of you wants to wait in his room…"

Carole and Rachel share a look and Carole nudges the younger woman. "You're his wife. Go."

She nods, giving her mother-in-law another tight squeeze and hurrying after the nurse in the direction of Finn.

Her heart clenches when she walks into the room, seeing his pallid skin covered in wires and tubes, linking him to various machines. He looks so unlike her husband, so ill, she draws in a sharp breath.

"He is stable," the nurse reassures, observing her reaction. "He should be in the clear now but the surgeon will be in within the hour for a post-op check-up."

The nurse then leaves them alone and Rachel pulls the chair as close to his bed as she physically can and strokes his cheek lovingly. After a while, his eyelashes begin to flutter.

He's waking up.

She watches cautiously as his eyes fully open and he adjusts to the sudden light and new setting, which is not the giant stadium that he last saw.

He looks at Rachel and his lips achingly lift into a small smile.

"Hey, baby," she says, unable to control her grin. He's awake and alive and she feels so relieved.

"Rachel," he croaks.

"You ok, Finn? You had quite an accident!" She hits the buzzer for the nurse to come in, needing medical confirmation of his wellbeing.

"I'm ok."

The nurse returns, checks his vitals and tells Rachel that he's good, he's doing well and they're very lucky (although sat in a hospital room with her husband when they should be at a football game doesn't feel particularly lucky to her).

Rachel's initial relief is replaced with an expression of concern as the doctor checks him over an hour later.

"Don't worry about me," he murmurs. "I'm cool – I'm a big, strong NFL player."

She lets out a breath and shakes her head; at least he hadn't lost his sense of humour. She leans forward, kissing his forehead.

"I can't help worrying about you," she says. "It's a wife thing."

The doctor confirms his head is ok and he is suffering from no side effects, but they do want to monitor him over night. Finn and Rachel both thank him before he leaves.

"See, I told you I was fine," he smiles widely.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," she warns him, her tone slightly playful, but her message completely serious. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Nah, you can't get rid of me that easy, Mrs. Hudson."

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	32. It looks good on you

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

They go for a week-long, kid-free holiday to the South of France for Rachel's fortieth birthday.

She has always wanted to go and actually _squeals_ – yes, squeals, like a teenage girl at her favourite boyband's concert – and throws her arms around his neck, kissing him repeatedly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She says excitedly, her whole face lighting up with happiness.

He grins, loving seeing his wife like this and replies, "no problem, babe."

When their plane lands in Nice a month later, Rachel is buzzing. They check in and drop off their bags at the hotel, deciding to explore the city, hand-in-hand.

They walk beside the beach along the promenade, admiring the view and pointing out the pretty buildings.

The sun is beginning to set and so they stop at a restaurant with a beach view and enjoy their meal with a bottle of red wine. They smile widely across at each throughout the evening, looking like two lovestruck newly weds. The waitress even comments on how good they look together and snaps a picture for them, Finn's lips puckering against the apple of Rachel's cheek.

The next day, they head for the beach nice and early as it gets busy. They find a good spot and place their towels down, put up a sun umbrella and strip off their clothing, revealing swimwear.

Finn still feels uncomfortable without a swimshirt, even after all these years, but Rachel's appreciative gaze towards his bare chest makes him feel slightly more confident. His wife, on the other hand, has changed into her tiny white bikini, the colour enhancing her tanned skin, with her arms wrapped self-consciously around her stomach. She seems on edge, glancing around to see if anybody has noticed her and instinctively covering up more of her exposed body.

Finn chews on his lip worriedly.

It's understandable that she feels insecure about her body – she has had five children, after all. She doesn't look the same as she used to. Rachel hates that, but Finn thinks she looks more beautiful, more sexy.

"I love that bikini, Rach. It looks good on you," he says, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm a very lucky guy; how did I get blessed with such a hot wife?"

"Finn…"

"No, I'm serious. You look fantastic. You have absolutely no reason to worry about your body, ok?"

She shakes her head. "You're just saying that because you married me and you have to."

"I don't _have_ to say anything," he responds, his voice serious, intense, way too intense for their current surroundings. His gaze is fixed on hers as he says, "I want to."

"Finn…" She repeats. She looks anxious, unsure of herself.

His heart sinks. He hates seeing her sad. He doesn't want to make her uncomfortable so he spots a shop across the road selling cover-ups. "Want me to buy you one of those, babe?" He nods in the direction of the shop.

"If you don't mind. I think it might help me feel a little better."

"Great," he grins, pulling on his shirt, grabbing his wallet and disappearing to the shop. He returns five minutes later, a cover-up in hand. He gives it to her and smiles as he sees her body visibly relax.

They enjoy the next few hours spent relaxing in the sun, reading books and chatting to each other about anything and everything. Rachel's mood improves when Finn receives a photograph from his mom of all their children smiling happily into the camera. As the day progresses and Finn showers her with compliments, Rachel's confidence grows and he convinces her to go for a swim with him, meaning she'll have to remove the cover-up.

"Honestly, Rach, people are gonna be so jealous of how good you look, not the other way around."

She looks uncertain but eventually takes off the pink fabric, leaving her exposed again. She bites her lip nervously.

Finn kisses her. "Let's go." He grabs her hand, running towards the ocean and Rachel laughs openly behind him, her worries dissipating as she follows her husband, carefree.


	33. Close your eyes and hold out your hands

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"What? No! Finn!"

"You're not allowed to see, it's a surprise," he tells her. "Shut your eyes."

She stares at him, her eyebrow arching.

"I won't kiss you for a week if you don't close your eyes," his voice is serious but Rachel only laughs, disbelieving.

"Oh, please! You wouldn't even last a day!"

"I so would," he replies indignantly. "Wanna try me?"

"Sure, but I can guarantee you will not last a day, let alone a week."

"Raaacchellll. Close your eyes!"

His tone is so child-like she can't believe she's talking to her thirty-six year old husband.

"Fine," she sighs, resigning. "Although if you put a spider or something gross in my hand I _will_ kill you. Just so you know."

She scrunches her eyes shut and Finn waves his hand in front of her. When he determines she can't see anything, he leaves the room and returns moments later, a small fluffy creature in hand.

Rachel hears a bark and her eyes snap open.

She sees her husband holding a tiny chocolate-coloured pug.

"FINN! Oh my god, what have you done?" She yells, totally flipping out. "I don't want a dog… Not with the kids! They make a mess and they're _expensive_. And you should have asked me before you brought it into our house! Oh my god!"

"Rach, deep breaths. I'm only looking after him for a couple of days for a friend at work. Relax."

"Finn…"

"The kids have been asking for a dog for ages and it won't do us any harm to look after him for a little bit, will it?" He asks, looking down at Ringo. "He's so cute. Come on, Rach, how can you deny that face?"

She looks at him, like really looks at him, tiny in her husband's arms. They do look pretty adorable, she has to admit, and when the kids find out… Well, they won't let her say no.

"Fine. The dog can stay."

"Yeeess!" Finn cheers, lowering him to the floor and letting him roam around the foyer of the house. "And his name is Ringo, Rach. Not ' _the dog_ '."

"As in the drummer from the Beatles?"

"I guess so! It's a cool name, don't you think?"

"I suppose it is," she muses, watching as he scatters towards the living room. "I can't believe you didn't tell me we were dogsitting."

"You would have said no if I had."

"Yeah, I would have."

"The kids are going to be so excited!" He thinks aloud, grinning while Rachel groans, worrying about the mess that's going to be created in her beautiful home. As if reading her mind, Finn says, "it's alright, babe, it'll be worth it when you see how happy it makes the kids."

Later that day, when the kids arrive home from school, Finn is proved right.

They immediately embrace Ringo, playing catch with him and tickling his stomach, wide irreplaceable smiles on all of their faces.

Finn and Rachel watch from the door of the living room, admiring their children. Finn looks down at his wife, smirking a little.

He was totally right and she knows it.

Rachel catches his glance and rolls her eyes, gently elbowing him in the stomach.


	34. That's ok, I bought two

**Two things:**

 **One. Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **Two. I just wanted to thank all of you sO much for all your reviews! They are the absolute sweetest and make my day. I'm very grateful to everybody who reads this and continually leave really positive reviews. Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

"Ooh, movie night!" Rachel says immediately upon entering the living room.

Finn, Kurt and Blaine are lounging on the sofas, a superhero film on the big screen. (It's clearly Blaine or Finn's turn to choose the film, as Kurt sits, bored, tapping away at his phone.)

Finn looks up at Rachel when he hears her voice and smiles instinctively.

"Hey, Rach. You look nice," he compliments, making her cheeks pink. "Have a good day?"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted, though." She removes her coat and bag, dropping them on the side and taking off her shoes. She then walks over to her husband, sitting between his legs. She looks over her shoulder at him and kisses his lips. "Missed you today."

"Missed you more, babe," he replies, kissing her again.

"Uh, guys, you were literally apart for like five hours," Blaine deadpans.

"Stop being so disgusting," Kurt adds as they continue to kiss, regardless. He knew he should have never moved in with his best friend and brother. They always seem to be attached to the other and the mushy couple have made him feel sick on numerous occasions.

Finn chuckles, but finally separates his lips from Rachel's, wrapping his arms around her instead. He reaches for his beer next to him and takes a sip, refocusing on the movie.

He feels Rachel's stare on him after a while and glances down at his wife. He gives her a questioning look.

"Can I have some of your beer?"

"'Course," he says, handing it to her.

She takes a sip. Then another. And another. (It's important to note that his wife's sips aren't really sips, either, they're more like gulps and when she returns the bottle to him, it's almost empty).

"Sorry," she says sheepishly.

"That's okay, I bought two. I knew you'd steal all mine."

She laughs and kisses him again, eliciting frustrated groans from Kurt and Blaine. ("Quit interrupting the film!" Kurt shrieks at one point when literally all he can hear is the husky rumble of his brother's voice).

"Sorry, sorry," Finn apologises, parting from Rachel with a peck to the cheek. They go back to watching the film and, thankfully for Kurt and Blaine, there are no more disturbances for about twenty minutes.

Then Finn and Rachel start kissing again, seemingly unable to resist each other, and Kurt rolls his eyes.

"Seriously, just get a room!"


	35. After you

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

Finn is the most chivalrous man Rachel knows. It's one of the many things that she loves about him.

Like, for example, when they go shopping, he'll always carry her bags for her, or open the car door for her, so she doesn't have to.

It's the sweet little gestures that fill Rachel with so much joy.

When she was pregnant and suffering with extreme morning sickness, he'd pull back her hair and draw comforting circles on her back with his hand. And when she's sick, he brews her a camomile tea and makes her a homemade vegetable soup that he knows she loves. Whenever they walk through doors, Finn will open it for her and say "after you". If it's cold, he'll give her his jacket and if it's raining, he drives the car around so she doesn't have to walk too far and get soaking wet.

He just loves her and likes doing things everyday to prove it.

Although, it does make Rachel feel insecure about whether she does enough for him. She decides to ask him and his answer makes her heart pound a little faster in her chest:

"You don't need to 'repay' me, Rach. You do that all the time by loving me and letting me love you."

"Finn…" she murmurs, her cheeks flushing.

"It's the truth. I love you so much, Rachel, and the family that you've given me. You make me very happy," he says, closing the gap between them as they stand in their bedroom.

They are now within inches of each other. She can feel his breath on her and he can feel her accelerated heart beat.

Rachel's eyes flick down to his lips, then back up to his eyes, his gorgeous, gorgeous eyes. "You make me happy, too," she whispers.

Spying the look upon her face, the corner of his mouth quirks up. She smiles, too, and kisses him. She fingers the hair at the nape of his neck. "Your hair is getting really long," she notices, mumbling her words against his lips.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Mmm." She breaks apart from him, admires his appearance, then presses her lips back against his. "Good. Very good."

"I'm glad I have your approval," he replies, lifting her up so her legs are wrapped around his waist, making her squeal. He carries her to their bed and then crawls above her. She looks radiant, happiness emanating from every pore. "You're so beautiful," he breathes as they continue kissing.

"You're the best," she tells him, because she absolutely adores the look on his face. His mouth parts a little, as if he is still shocked that she chose to spend her life with _him_ and then this stupid grin appears that she wants to kiss right off.

"You, too, babe. Now, shh, no more talking."

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	36. We'll figure it out

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

Rachel paces the floor of the bedroom anxiously, chewing on her lip, as she always does when she's particularly worried about something.

In this case, it's college.

Finn watches her from his position on her bed.

"Hey. Rach," he calls her over and takes her hands in his when she reaches him. "Stop panicking. If we don't get into college, we'll figure it out. Together. Ok?"

"But my entire future depends on this one decision, Finn!" It totally doesn't, but he refrains from telling her. She's wearing her "crazy face" and honestly, he's a little scared of his girlfriend when she's like this, all worked up. He isn't going to disagree with her. "What if they don't like me and I never receive proper Broadway coaching and I end up stuck in Lima for the rest of my life?"

"First of all, that won't happen," Finn begins supportively. "You're ridiculously talented and they'd be fools to reject you. NYADA aren't fools, are they?" Rachel looks horrified at the accusation and Finn lets out a small chuckle. "No, they're not. You'll go to college, I 100% believe in you, Rachel Berry. Worst comes to the worst and they don't let you in? You apply next year and the year after and the year after, whatever it takes, meanwhile auditioning for every role you can. You're going to be a star, Rachel."

She's tearing up at his speech, his unwavering support. She wraps her arms around his neck and dives forward, pushing him back on the bed.

He grins up at her, enjoying this position.

She kisses him, conveying her gratitude. When they pull apart, Finn cups her cheek with his hand, stroking his thumb over the expanse of skin.

"We're going to be ok, Rachel."

And for the first time, she actually believes him when he says this. They will be fine; whether they're studying in New York, in Lima or anywhere else, they'll be together. She thinks, in this moment, that's all that matters.

Rachel does, of course, get accepted into NYADA's prestigious performing arts programme and Finn, football at NYU. Rachel squeals when she opens her acceptance letter, but her celebrations are nothing compared to Finn's, who is overwhelmingly proud of his girlfriend, his future superstar.

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	37. Can I kiss you?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

They're fourteen and have lucked out, a heavy snowfall the night before granting them with a day off school.

Of course, Rachel immediately goes over to Finn's, choosing to spend the day with her best friend.

One of the things she loves about their friendship is that they can hang out together while doing their own, individual things. For example, today: Finn is engrossed in an especially violent video game that makes Rachel wince every time he shoots somebody and Rachel is reading her script for the musical she's a part of. Even though they're doing different things, they still chat about anything and everything and laugh at each other's dumb jokes.

On the screen, Finn's character lets out a flurry of gunshots, forcing Rachel to stop reading, distracted.

"Hey, Finn. Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," he responds, his character running across the screen and ducking behind a car.

"Can I kiss you?"

He doesn't say anything, he doesn't move. His character promptly gets shot dead, but he doesn't even seem to care. He turns to face her, his expression unreadable.

"What did you just say?"

"Can I kiss you?" She repeats, louder this time. "It's a simple question, really."

"W-what? Why would you want to do that? _What?_ "

She rolls her eyes at his incoherence and then begins her explanation. "I have to kiss my co-star in the play and, uh, this is embarrassing but… _I've never actually kissed anybody before."_ She mumbles the last bit, her entire face red with humiliation. She knows Finn won't laugh at her (he never has or will) but she knows he's had a lot of experience in this department (he's a popular football player and has dated multiple cheerleaders and other socialites). He probably inwardly thinks she's a bit of a weirdo.

"I don't think you're weird," he says instantly, reassuringly, reading her face and knowing _exactly_ what she's thinking. "It's totally normal. We're still young. It's cool, Rachel."

"I asked to kiss you because I wanted to… practise… before the play…"

" _Oh._ "

"So, uh, will you? Kiss me?" She fidgets, embarrassed.

"Yeah, sure," he shrugs.

He's just helping out his best friend, right?

Right.

There's no harm in that.

Finn stands up and walks towards Rachel, who's frozen on the bed. He sits down beside her and takes her hands in what's supposed to be a comforting gesture, though it makes Rachel feel worse because it reveals how sweaty her hands have become with nerves. He shifts ever closer to her, their bodies only inches apart and looks down at Rachel's face, her eyes closed in anxious anticipation. He smiles at her sweet, innocent expression and kisses her. Rachel nearly jumps out of her skin at the contact, relaxing after a few seconds when she realises that it feels nice, good. They pull apart and look each other directly in the eyes, their hearts pounding simultaneously.

Rachel opens her mouth to speak, but words let her down and, to her chagrin, she utters, "you are a very effective kisser."

He laughs. Loudly. Soon, she joins in and neither of them can stop.

"Thank you, I guess," Finn says eventually, having never been complimented in such a way before. "Do you feel better now? Experienced?"

"Yes," she replies instantly, then, shyly, tugging the sleeves of her jumper over her hands in a nervous action, says, "although maybe I need a little more practise."

Finn's eyes widen.

"With my friend. Obviously. With my best friend who won't judge me and I only have platonic feelings for, obviously."

He cuts off her rambles by pressing his lips against hers again, deepening the kiss after a few moments.

It's for Rachel's play, though. Nothing more. Just research. Purely research.

 **Sorry for not posting the last few days, posting two today to make up for it! Hope you enjoy! :)**


	38. I like your laugh

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee or Friends.**

It might not seem like it because of her outgoing, confident exterior that allows her to be the amazing, Tony award winning performer she is, but Rachel Hudson has many, deep-rooted self-esteem issues. She says this in an interview and the journalist laughs in her face, telling Rachel she's the most self-assured and secure person they've ever met. It's true, though. She, like most people, has days where she hates her face, or her figure, or doubts her work. She thinks it's because of the bullies that made her school days living hell.

Even as an adult, with a husband as wonderful as Finn is, she can't help but feel self-conscious from time to time.

Today, she finds issue with the way she laughs and keeps a stoic expression all day. When Finn comes home and sees her watching Friends with a straight face, he knows something is wrong. She always laughs out loud when she watches the show and it's, like, his favourite sound in the world.

He takes her into the kitchen, away from the children, and asks her what's up. She attempts to dodge the question. He just gives her a look that says he knows something is wrong and she may as well just spit it out.

"Ugh, fine. I hate my laugh."

There's a beat of silence as Rachel's confession sinks in.

"Um, why?"

"Because! Have you heard it, Finn? It's so weird!" She exclaims.

"No, no, it's not. I like your laugh," he says, genuinely confused as to why she doesn't like it. Her laugh is loud and musical, slightly nerdy, but adorable, nonetheless, just like her. Their kids have inherited her laugh, too, and it's insanely infectious. Whenever one of them starts giggling, he can't help but join in.

"Well, good for you. I hate it."

"Don't even say that, Rachel," he quickly comes to her defence. "What did you read? Was it those jerks online again? I'll hit them if they've hurt you."

"Finn…"

The unfortunate thing with being with somebody for as long as Finn and Rachel have is that the other person gets to know you _really_ well. She can't even attempt to hide it, her slightly guilty/sheepish look says it all. Finn frowns at her. She always gets upset when she reads online comments (they're constantly discussing her "dreadful" fashion sense, or "huge, ugly" nose, or how she's not even that good of a singer) and he hates it. He tells her to ignore them, that those things are certainly not true. He tells her to block the websites, not go on them, but she continues to do it anyway. He hates it when she's sad.

"Rachel, please. You have the best laugh in the world, believe me. I'm your husband, I know more than those idiots online who are just trying to provoke you, hurt your feelings, ok?"

"Ok," she says reluctantly. He does kind of have a point.

He kisses her cheek and is glad when she finally relaxes, seemingly dropping the issue. He spends the rest of the evening trying to make her laugh, telling stupid jokes and tickling her until she finally giggles and, seriously, it's the cutest thing _ever_.

She still gets insecure sometimes, but Finn is always there to make her feel better.

And he always will be.

 **Review? :)**


	39. Don't cry

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

On top of singing, Rachel is an amazing dancer. She's a "classic triple threat", according to Kurt. He isn't really sure what that means, but he knows Rachel is extremely talented. Most weekends she participates in dance competitions and, since they're dating now, she invites Finn along.

Sitting between Hiram and Leroy, he makes an effort to look interested as they watch as everybody except for Rachel performs. Seriously, it's been like an hour and he still hasn't seen Rachel. Even Hiram and Leroy are getting bored (he notices the latter drifting off to sleep so he nudges him gently; Leroy looks grateful Finn wakes him before Hiram sees and becomes _pissed_ ).

Eventually Rachel takes to the stage and he instantly brightens up, sitting up straighter and focusing on his girlfriend. When the music begins and Rachel starts to move, Finn is enchanted. She owns the entire stage and captivates the audience. He's probably a little bias, but Finn thinks she's the best dancer he's ever seen. She looks like a professional ballerina, the way she twirls around the stage. He feels an immense surge of pride and wants to shout out: "she's _my_ girlfriend!" He doesn't think Rachel would appreciate him interrupting her performance and continues to watch silently, awestruck.

She's doing one move (a plié, he thinks it's called) when her foot catches and she falls to the floor with a yell of pain.

He's on his feet in an instant, as are Hiram and Leroy, watching, panic-stricken, as Rachel lies there, clutching her ankle in pain. After what feels like _years_ , her teacher, accompanied by another dancer, hurry onto the stage. They sit beside Rachel and examine the injury. They press their hands to the affected area and she screams. "She's probably fractured her ankle," he hears the teacher say (the room is silent, save for Rachel's cries, and they're seated close to the front anyway). "We need to get her to a hospital."

As they help Rachel to her feet, supporting all of her weight on their shoulders, Finn rushes backstage, desperate to see her, to know she's ok.

His heart nearly shatters when he sees his girlfriend's distraught face, polar opposite from the excited, happy girl he'd seen before the show started. He hugs her and she clutches him tightly, letting out a loud sob.

"Don't cry," he whispers into her hair, the sound breaking him. He pulls away, so he can see her face, red with tears and he kisses her. "You're gonna be ok, Rach. Don't cry, please don't cry."

They take her to the hospital and Finn holds her hand the entire way there and while Rachel anxiously waits to be taken into X-Ray. He kisses her cheek comfortingly when the technician comes to collect her, wheeling her away in the wheelchair. She looks back, uncertain, and he gives her a thumbs up and a wide grin.

They get the results back and it turns out the dance teacher was correct. Rachel fractured her ankle from the impact of the fall and she'll be out of action for quite some time. She starts weeping again ("We have sectionals in a month and I'm the star – how will the New Directions survive without me?") but Finn manages to relax her through hugs and lots of kisses.

Finn spends even more time than usual at the Berry household while Rachel rests her ankle. They watch TV together, practise duets and he even makes her some cookies that he's convinced taste horrible and she's just pretending to like to make him feel better about himself. She has her moments where she gets upset about her injury, as would be expected, but Finn is able to calm her down, promising she'll be back to dancing soon enough and when she is, she'll win that first place trophy.

A few months later, fully recovered, Rachel accepts her winners medal, a bright, overwhelmingly happy smile on her face. She spots Finn in the crowd, clapping and cheering loudly and, if possible, smiles brighter.

 **Review? :)**


	40. I made this for you

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **I didn't think I'd get a chapter out tonight because of Mockingjay (which is AMAZING btw, I want to go watch it again!) and football, but here we go: Chapter 40!**

It's Valentines Day and apparently, according to his daughter, it is super essential to hand-make presents, because otherwise the other person will think you don't love them.

"But I've bought mommy some pretty earrings that she's wanted for months," he argues. They're expensive as well and his wife always appreciates the diamond jewellery he buys her.

Ava determinedly shakes her head. "Not acceptable, daddy," his seven year old says. "Do you even love mommy?"

"Yes! Of course I do!"

"Olivia says her daddy is handmaking a card _and_ present for her mommy," she adds and he has to stifle a chuckle at the expression on her face.

"Wow."

"Do you need my help, daddy? I know you're not very good at things like this."

He shakes his head, once again struck by how similar to Rachel she is. His daughter is even wearing a plaid skirt, an animal sweater and knee-high socks (all in co-ordinating colours, of course). She found old pictures of Rachel at the weekend and demanded she wear the same outfit as her "super pretty mommy". Rachel cried when she saw her this morning. She was constantly bullied at school for how she dressed and to see her daughter admiring her as much as she does… Honestly, it's the cutest thing ever.

"Ok, baby. You help me."

She grins, scampering off towards her bedroom. She returns five minutes later, her hands laden with craft items. Finn takes them off her and places them on the dining room table, above newspapers he has already laid out to Ava-proof their beautiful wooden (and expensive) table. They sit down next to each other and Ava produces a stack of papers.

"Which colour?"

"Hmm. Pink?"

She pulls out the baby pink sheet. "Good choice, daddy! This is mommy's favourite colour, she told me so." He grins, watching her carefully as she folds the paper in half. "Now, you need to write a message inside."

"What about the front cover?" He asks.

"Afterwards. You don't want to ruin it," she replies as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Smart girl." He drops a kiss on her hair, then scrawls a message to his wife. "Ok, done. What next?"

"Glitter," she says. "Lots of glitter."

She opens a box with like, twenty different colours of glitter and Finn sighs, resigning to the fact that his daughter is about to make a _huge_ mess.

Later that evening, after Finn and Ava have decorated the card and made Rachel a pasta necklace, the family are finishing up their meal and Finn is ready to give his wife her present. He collects the card and present from the next room (he decides to save the diamond necklace for later, when the kids go to bed) and places them in front of her, saying, "I made these for you."

"What?" A slow smile creeps onto her face.

"Ava told me I had to handmake your gift or it shows I don't love you enough, or something," he paraphrases and laughs when his daughter corrects him. He grins at her, his eyes shining, and nods to the things in front of her.

She opens the card first, her eyes widening when glitter flies everywhere. Ava claps delightedly. She glances up at Finn, tears in her eyes, once she finishes reading the message. Rachel then takes the small gift bag and delves inside, finding a necklace made from pieces of shaped pasta, painted all different colours. She immediately puts it on and gets Finn to attach the string at the back of her neck. He presses a kiss there when he's finished and Rachel feels a rush of happiness, of love.

"Best Valentine's Day ever," she declares.

 **I changed the title ever so slightly so it fit my idea, but oh well, hope you enjoyed it :)**


	41. Go back to sleep

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **OMG this story has passed 100 reviews! Thank you so much for everybody who's commented on it, your lovely messages make me so happy and I really, really appreciate them and all of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)**

When they finally arrive home, physically exhausted, it hits them that they are officially parents.

Rachel is cradling little Ava in her arms as they enter their apartment. "How'd you like your new home, huh, baby girl?" She says in a cutesy voice, walking over to sit on the sofa. Finn joins her, once he's brought everything in from the car, and they both spend several minutes watching their daughter sleep. She's so precious and they can't believe she's _theirs_.

"You know, mom said whenever the baby is sleeping, we should be, too," Finn points out, noticing Rachel yawning. "Let's put her in the crib and then go to bed."

Rachel nods, too tired to put up any sort of resistance, even if she wanted to.

Ava will be sleeping in their room for a little while until she settles down and until they get used to having a baby in the house and not wanting to separate from her for long periods of time.

They walk into Finn and Rachel's room, both kissing Ava's forehead before Rachel gently places her in the crib. She pulls the blanket over her daughter's tiny body and then begins getting ready for bed herself.

Finn pauses beside Ava, entranced by the beautiful sleeping baby. He puts a brown rabbit that his mom bought next to her, gives her one last kiss, then joins Rachel in the bathroom to brush his teeth.

They'd been warned about babies' sleeping habits, of course, and Finn is pleasantly surprised when Ava sleeps peacefully until 3am.

Rachel jolts awake when she hears Ava's cries. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, she probably just wants a feed," he says softly, getting out of bed and lifting the hours-old infant from her crib. He passes her to Rachel and he watches in awe as his wife feeds his daughter.

Rachel finishes feeding but Ava still seems fussy.

His wife looks exhausted so he says, "go back to sleep, Rach, Ava and I will have some daddy daughter bonding time."

She doesn't even attempt to argue, too tired to do anything. She quickly falls back into a deep sleep as her husband carries their daughter into the living room, soothingly singing lullabies until she stops crying. He lies on the sofa, Ava resting on top of him and he marvels as he feels the rise and fall of her chest. They both eventually fall asleep and remain in the same position until morning, when Rachel, panicking, hurries out of the bedroom.

She finds them lying together, Finn's hands protectively cradling her body and Ava sleeping soundly with the comfort of her dad's touch.

She grabs her phone and snaps a picture of the adorable moment, smiling happily as she changes her wallpaper to the picture of her two favourite people.

 **I think this might be my favourite so far. I just love daddy!Finn and Ava so much! What do you think? :)**


	42. Is this ok?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee!**

Finn and Rachel are complete opposites.

Finn is a super popular jock that every girl in McKinley wants to date. Rachel is the captain of the Glee Club and is ridiculed for her appearance multiple times a day.

Rachel knows exactly what she wants to do with her life and has done from a very young age. Finn, not so much.

They both possess natural singing talent, only Rachel is more aware of hers, whereas Finn feels self-conscious whenever he has to perform in front of people. He doesn't even sing in the car when there are other people in it. Rachel thinks it's because he is instinctively afraid of not being good enough, stemming from issues with his father, but it's irrational, and she tells him this all the time, because he has a wonderful voice (that compliments hers perfectly) and he absolutely is good enough. In fact, he excels; he is far too talented to be stuck in a cow town like Lima.

They're rehearsing for a song they're going to sing in Glee.

Finn is singing his opening section of the song and Rachel is impressed, he's improving, his vocal range growing considerably. He pauses, uncertain, and asks, "is this okay?"

Something she's noticed about Finn is that he always seeks her assurance with his singing. He tells her he trusts her opinion wholeheartedly and she won't sugarcoat the truth, one of the many things he likes about her.

"It's amazing, Finn," she responds, grinning at him. "You're such a good singer, you just need to believe in yourself more."

"That's easier said than done, Miss Future Broadway Star."

Her cheeks pink. He always says stuff like that, about her future, about how many Tony awards she's going to win, how successful she'll be. If only he could believe in himself as much as he believes in her.

 **Sorry for the length of this one - tomorrow's is quite long so hopefully it makes up for it! Review?**


	43. I picked these for you

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **Again, I changed the title slightly - oops!**

Finn begins to notice that Abby looks down, not herself.

She's much quieter than her siblings anyway, but it's unusual for her to look so _sad_ , not even Rachel can make her laugh. It breaks his heart a little bit; he misses the musical giggles of his youngest daughter, the dimples that appear when she gives that adorable smile of hers. He determines to do something.

One Sunday, he decides to take Abby out to Central Park on her own, just the two of them, a daddy-daughter day. Both of his daughters are admittedly daddy's little girls and he hopes spending the day with him will cheer her up and maybe she'll even tell him what's bothering her.

He holds her small hand tightly as they walk through the park. It's cold and Abby walks close to his side, although he doesn't think that's the only reason his daughter seems to be moving closer and closer to him. He looks down and sees the scared expression on her face, which confuses the hell out of him.

He sits her down on a bench and kneels in front of her, holding her hands gently. It's quiet around, only them and a couple of kids on the bench opposite. He feels confident Abby will be ok with talking here.

"Baby, what's the matter?" He asks, his tone concerned. "You've been very upset lately and mommy and daddy are worried."

She looks up from her feet, past him, to the children on the bench.

"You know them?" He questions, following her gaze.

She nods.

"Are they your friends? Do you want to go and say hi?"

She shakes her head vehemently and tears appear in her eyes. Finn almost feels like crying himself. He hates seeing his children like this and hates the fact that he doesn't know what's wrong. He feels helpless. "Meanies," she says quietly, almost too quietly for him to hear.

"They're being mean to you?" This time, when she nods, his heart nearly stops. "How so?"

"They say nasty things about my nose," she confesses (his daughter inherited Rachel's appearance down to every detail). "They push me over in the playground and all the other kids laugh at me."

She's being bullied. His baby girl is being bullied. A sick feeling appears in his stomach and he has to strongly resist the urge to march over to the parents of the children and give them a good talking to. He knows that would make Abby more upset and realises that confrontation wouldn't realistically solve anything.

Rachel had been bullied her entire life and one of her greatest fears about becoming a mother was that her children would have to be subjected to the same cruel treatment. She'll be completely distraught, she'll blame herself, he knows.

He pulls Abby into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder and he feels tears seeping through his jacket, his daughter's tears. It kind of makes him want to die, seeing her like this. He rubs her back and presses kiss after kiss to the crown of her head.

"You'll be ok, baby, you'll be ok," he promises. He'll go to the school first thing on Monday morning and book an appointment with the principal. He wants to get this thing over with as quickly as possible because he wants, no, needs, his smiling happy little girl back.

"How?" She asks.

He pulls back and looks her right in the eyes. "Because you're like your mommy," he says, tapping her on the nose. "You know, kids were always mean to your mommy at school, too. They'd say really nasty things about her, but you know what? She was strong, she was better than them and she knew it. She left school and became a star, right? Well, guess where they are? They're still stuck in the same town, doing nothing with their lives. And you are exactly like your mommy. They might be mean to you now, but you're so much more amazing than they are."

She hugs him tightly and he thinks he's said the right thing because, as they walk back to their apartment, not far from the park, she already seems more relaxed and when they arrive home, she leaps into Rachel's arms, revelling in the comfort her mother gives her.

His wife gives him a curious look and he mouths, "I'll tell you later."

Abby brandishes a small bunch of flowers in Rachel's face.

"We picked these for you," he explains. "Because we love you, right, Abby?"

"Yep!" Abby smiles for the first time in what feels like an eternity and he smiles, too, relieved that his daughter seems to be happier already.

 **Review? :)**


	44. I'll drive you to the hospital

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

 **A more angsty offering today, but I'm really proud of this one and I hope you enjoy it too! :)**

Hiram Berry is sick.

They've known it for sometime, but he keeps refusing to go to the hospital, arguing that nothing is wrong with him, it'll pass.

But it doesn't.

They eventually manage to persuade him to book a doctors appointment and after he attends, he is immediately referred to the hospital.

He has a malignant brain tumour and if he doesn't get it treated soon, he could die.

Rachel cries when she receives the phone call from Leroy and Finn embraces her, holding her in his arms and slowly drawing soothing circles on her back. She clings onto him as if her life depends on it and doesn't let go for sometime. Her tears are leaking through his shirt and he'll have to change it before work but he doesn't care. She's devastated enough and when they hear the survival rate, she cocoons herself in their bedroom and doesn't come out for hours, not even when their children call for her. When Finn returns home that night, he cries, too. He's known Hiram for his entire life and the man is like a father to him.

They find out his first operation has been scheduled for the weekend.

"I'll drive you to the hospital," Finn says, the morning of. He's preparing breakfast for the children when his wife slumps down the stairs, her eyes bloodshot. (She'd been crying all night.) She walks to his side and leans into him as he wraps an arm around her and presses a kiss to the side of her head.

"Thank you, Finn." She snags a slice of toast from Chris' plate and sticks her tongue out at the boy when he cries out. She giggles at his reaction, so like his father, and ruffles his hair.

Finn grins, it's the first time he's heard her laugh since Hiram's diagnosis. Their children always make her feel better.

"Do you have to go to work today?" She asks. "Or can you stay with me?"

"Of course I'm going to stay with you, silly," he tells her, kissing her again. "You really think I'd leave you alone on a day like this?"

"You're the best husband ever."

"I know," he teases and she giggles again, lightly slapping his chest.

"Where are the kids going? I don't think they should be at the hospital for this."

"My mom's coming to look after them," he says in response. "She gives Hiram her best wishes, says she'll visit him during the week."

Later that day, as they sit in the waiting room, Leroy, Finn and Rachel, he is trying to keep her as upbeat and happy as physically possible. His arm is around her shoulders as he tells her and Leroy stories about what the kids have been up to this week. It makes them smile a little and it passes the time until Hiram's surgery is eventually over.

They're only allowed two visitors at a time to see Hiram after he's come round from the anaesthetic. However, Rachel insists she's not going without Finn and drags him to the room, squeezing his hand tightly, refusing to let go, even when the nurses give them disapproving stares.

It's distressing, seeing him looking so sickly pale and hooked up to machines. Finn's hold on his wife tightens; he's devastated and can only imagine the kind of heartbreak Rachel feels.

The surgeon tells them that the initial procedure has been a success, but it will be a long, hard road and they still cannot guarantee full recovery.

His wife crumples in his arms, sobbing loudly. She surrenders herself completely to him as he holds her, soothing her as much as he can.

She doesn't know what she'd do without him, really.


	45. What do you want to watch?

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee.**

"What do you want to watch?" Rachel asks, glancing up at Finn as they sit next to each other on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know, babe, maybe a DVD?"

He watches nervously as she gets up and begins shuffling through their collection of movies and TV shows. She stops when she reaches a plain box, with "For Rachel" written on it. She turns and looks at him with a curious expression.

He shrugs, doing his best acting to try to look as confused as she is.

She clicks open the case and sees a plan disc, which she inserts into the DVD player, before settling back next to her husband.

It begins to play and straight away she knows exactly what it is.

He's managed to acquire video footage of all their New Directions performances.

He's grinning now as a sophomore version of Rachel belts out "Don't Rain On My Parade".

"I was really impressed when you starting singing this, babe," he says. "I mean I knew you were an amazing singer, _obviously_ , you reminded me about it every day since we were like four." She huffs in annoyance, making him chuckle. "But I didn't realise you were _that_ good," he finishes.

She blushes, slightly embarrassed. "Finn…"

"No, it's true, ask Puck. I apparently looked like a lovestruck dork."

"Kurt always said the same thing to me when I watched you perform," she replies, smiling at him. "Why did it take us so long to date?"

"I have no idea, Rach."

They go silent for a while, watching their first Sectionals performance and then, when the opening notes to Faithfully begin to play, Finn's arm squeezes her shoulder. The corner of Rachel's mouth lifts as she watches, the memory of that day rushing back to her. Finn presses a kiss to the top of her head and she knows that he's thinking about it, too. About "break a leg" and "I love you" and the kisses they shared on the bus back to Lima, attempting to cheer each other up after a rather dismal result.

Finn thoughtfully omitted the Sectionals performance of the previous year; they were having a big fight that week and he didn't want to be reminded, or remind Rachel, of any dark moments in their relationship.

They observe their physical transformation throughout the videos ("aw babe, look how young and cute you look!" Rachel exclaims during an early recording) and how their loving looks grow stronger and stronger through the years.

They are both wearing irreplaceable smiles whilst watching the final video, from Nationals 2012 when they finally won the big thing. Finn embraces Rachel in the video, lifting her in the air and you can hear Rachel's delighted squeal over the crowd's applause.

"That was one of the best days of my life," Rachel says. "After marrying you, of course. We worked so hard for it and had suffered so many downfalls, to finally win it was the best feeling ever."

"Totally," Finn agrees. "It was mostly down to you, babe. That solo? _Incredible_. I got goosebumps watching it just now."

"No, you didn't, you dork," she laughs.

"Excuse me," he says, rolling up his sleeve. She places her hand on his arm and feels the goosebumps there. "Your talent still blows me away, even today."

She doesn't know how to respond without sounding like a blubbering mess, so she simply kisses him, pouring all of her emotions and love for him into that one kiss.

 **I'm English so I don't celebrate it, but Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I'm very thankful for all of you and your lovely reviews that make me so, so happy! I hope you have a wonderful holiday!**


	46. You can go first

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **I was feeling really Christmassy when I wrote this! Little bit early, but who cares ;)**

Even though Rachel is Jewish, Hiram and Leroy like her to celebrate the Christmas season, especially as it's so important to the Hudson family.

When they're six years old, Carole decides to take Finn and Rachel to the local mall; there's a Santa's grotto that has popped up for the weekend.

Finn and Rachel hold hands as they walk around the mall and Carole follows, a smile on her face. They are _so_ cute; Rachel in her burgundy dress with a reindeer printed on the front, Finn in his typical attire of a plaid shirt and jeans. She takes a picture of the two of them to show Rachel's parents later.

When they reach the grotto, Finn is _buzzing_. ("It's my most favouritist time of the year!" he exclaims when he sees all the snow and reindeer and elves, his eyes lighting up with sweet, innocent joy.) Carole struggles to control her son and remind him that they have to wait in the queue, since there are other children who want to meet Santa, too.

Finn groans, frustrated, and Rachel giggles.

They end up waiting for close to half an hour and Carole has been driven mad by her son's incessant questions about when he gets to see Santa, why it's taking so long, and how does he deliver all of those presents in just one night? So when they finally reach the front of the line, Finn is excited, to say the least.

The only dilemma?

Who meets Father Christmas first.

Finn looks to Rachel and grins. It's the very first time she's been to a Santa's grotto and he's been telling her about it all week and she looks pretty, so he thinks she should be the one to get to see him first.

Rachel, of course, disagrees with her best friend, saying, "you can go first. You love Christmas more than me and you're the most excited."

The smile that appears on Finn's face is one of overwhelming happiness and Carole honestly doesn't think she's ever seen him look so happy, so thrilled about anything before, ever. He hugs Rachel tightly and Carole's mouth upturns; they are seriously adorable and she hopes they stay friends for a long time. The tiny brunette girl with the pigtails, loud voice and aspirations of being exactly like Barbra Streisand is good for his son. They're totally different, but somehow the friendship works.

 **Review?**


	47. Did you get my letter?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

As a kid, Hiram and Leroy encouraged Rachel to write letters to people all the time. Just random things; how she's doing, what they did on holiday, thank you cards after birthdays/Christmas, etc. etc.

She wrote _a lot_ of letters to Finn, which they find when they're older and packing up Finn's stuff for college. They're in a huge box and are dated right back to when Finn and Rachel were five and she was first learning to write, her large, illegible scrawl filling so many pieces of paper, accompanied with small drawings (of the two of them, Rachel's cat, New York, a random tree). She even wrote him letters asking "did you get my letter?" As Rachel is with most things, when she discovers that she likes something, she becomes obsessed, _fast_.

"I can't believe you kept all these," Rachel murmurs, sorting through the stacks and stacks of letters she sent him.

"Of course I did. Why would I throw them out?"

"I don't know. You must have thought I was crazy," she giggles, lifting up a particular letter that reads: "you will be my best friend forever. Tick yes or no."

"What do you mean _thought_? I still do," he teases, tickling her sock-clad feet, the place where she is most ticklish. She squirms, letting out a loud, child-like laugh and he grins. Rachel's laugh is his favourite sound in the world and it always has been.

"You never replied to me, though," she replies, once the tickling stops.

"What?"

"I never got a reply. I'd wait by the door for the post everyday but, nothing."

"Rachel, I'm-. I'm so sorry," he apologises, feeling his heart break into two. He mentally kicks the younger version of himself for being such a tool. "That must have really hurt, for me to ignore you like that. Why did you stay friends with me?"

"You were cute. It was purely based upon your looks," she says, a teasing glint in her eyes. He's glad that she's still joking with him, but he knows deep down that he has hurt her and probably continues to hurt her. (When his girlfriend becomes anxious, she'll worry about tiny, insignificant things from the past – embarrassing things that she's said/done – that niggle away at her and prevent her from sleeping.) "No," she sobers up. "You'd tell me these things in person, how I was your best friend, it's not like you were ever mean to me. It's just… one reply would have felt nice."

How could he not reply to her? He feels awful and later, after she's gone home, he determines to rectify his mistake. He sits in front of a pen and paper and begins to write all his feelings towards her down onto the page.

 **Finn's letter is coming in chapter 63, so stay tuned! ;)**

 **Also, just to let you know that I'll be uploading every other day for the next month or so as I have an important English coursework deadline coming up and the number of pre-written chapters is becoming limited. It will just be until I can catch up and then I'll be back to posting every day for you guys! I'm planning to post a Bones fic every day of December as well so I apologise to people who get alerts from me and don't like Bones (although I don't know why you wouldn't, it's the best).**

 **Anyway, I'll stop rambling now! I hope you are enjoying this story so far, please leave a review to let me know if you are? They make me so happy :)**


	48. I'll do it for you

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

It's their second Christmas since they've been living in New York, this time Blaine is living with them and this year their families are coming over for the festive celebrations, rather than Finn, Rachel and Kurt returning to Ohio.

That means it's the first real time they have to put up a tree and decorate the apartment and bake Rachel's Christmas cookies and cook the Christmas dinner. Rachel is extremely anxious about it, making sure every little detail of their holiday is perfected.

(It's also a Big Deal because Rachel is _finally_ out of her first trimester and they're going to reveal the big news today. Part of Carole, Hiram and Leroy and Burt's presents is a small, framed picture of the scan. The plan is for them all to open it at the same time and Rachel will say "surprise!" with a beaming smile on her face and their family will erupt with happiness. Yes, she's planned this down to the finest detail, too.)

They're putting the finishing touches to the apartment décor and Finn walks into the living area from their bedroom, finding his wife stood precariously on a stool, attempting to attach a garland of mistletoe to the ceiling. He almost has a heart attack and rushes to her side. He places his arms on her sides, his fingertips brushing her barely noticeable bump.

"Rachel, please, get down from there," he begs, whispering in her ear so Kurt and Blaine don't become suspicious. " _The baby_."

"The baby is fine," she says under her breath, shaking her head at his over-protectiveness, which has intensified since they discovered they were having a child.

"Still. Please." He gives her a levelling stare and she resigns to the fact that her husband will be like this for the remaining months of her pregnancy, determined to protect her and his son or daughter. "I'll do it for you."

He helps her down from the chair and pins up the mistletoe with ease. They stand underneath it then. Rachel glances upwards and bites her lip. Finn's mouth quirks into a half-smile and he proceeds to kiss her until Kurt enters the room, groans, and tells them to stop being so disgusting.

The four of them cook dinner together. Rachel is working on vegetables (she's wearing an apron and poking out her tongue as she chops the carrots, looking absolutely _adorable_ ). Finn is in charge of preparing and cooking the turkey. His mom has given him loads of tips, but he's a little worried because if he messes up, the whole dinner is essentially ruined. Kurt is setting the table and re-doing the decorations that Finn and Rachel have already put up. ("The tinsel is _wonky_ , Finn! This simply will not do!") And Blaine is making alcoholic drinks and icing Rachel's cookies that she'd made earlier. They have a neat system going on and their parents admit they are impressed when they arrive at the apartment.

While the dinner is cooking, they open presents. It's been about twenty minutes and everybody is buzzed on alcohol and have fully embraced the Christmas spirit. Finn and Rachel share a look as if to say "it's time" and instruct their parents on which present to open next and that they must do it at the same time. Finn squeezes Rachel, a nervous gesture, filled with lots of excitement, too.

It seems to take forever for everybody to unwrap the photo frame, but when they do, gasps reverberate around the lounge area, tears already welling in Carole's eyes as Finn and Rachel grin ear-to-ear.

Finn thinks this has been the best Christmas ever, although next year is undoubtedly likely to beat it, when a little baby will be sat across the table from him, too, next to his wife.

He can't wait.

 **Review?**


	49. Call me when you get home

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

Finn hates when he's separated from his family; it's one of the worst things about his job, he'll have to travel, while Rachel and the kids stay at home, without him.

It gets quite lonely on the road. He has his teammates with him, of course, but it's not the same as his wife, his Ava, his Chris. He just misses them and relishes the opportunity to play home games when he gets to see his family for the entire weekend.

Rachel gets anxious, too, when they're apart. They try to text and Facetime as much as possible, but sometimes it's just not enough. He wants to kiss his wife and tuck his kids into bed, you know?

She especially hates when he takes the plane and he can't contact her straight away. She gets so worried that something has happened to him, probably because one time it nearly did.

His plane had some trouble landing and, of course, when the media reported it, they made it sound like some huge, end-of-the-universe disaster, when in reality it's a pretty common issue and they just landed in a different airport to the one they were supposed to. They were safe, everything was fine. Only Rachel saw the news report and thought he was in a plane crash.

So now she likes – needs – regular updates. (She's even gone as far as ringing up the airline when she's particularly panicked and can't get a hold of him.)

She tells him constantly to "call me when you get home", which means, in Rachel speak, " _call me at the first moment you can when you land because you're never really home unless you're with me."_

Sometimes she'll meet him at the airport and they'll embrace like they've been apart for ten years, rather than just a matter of days.

They really miss each other when they're apart, even after growing up together, dating for years, then marriage and kids, feeling happiest and most relaxed when they're in each other's arms.

 **We're almost halfway OMG! Can I just take this time to thank all of you for you lovely reviews, they make my day and I really appreciate everybody who has read this story SO SO much! Thank you!**


	50. I think you're beautiful

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **Adorable. High school Finchel is adorable.**

When Finn walks down the stairs for breakfast, he's surprised to say the least when he finds his girlfriend sat at the breakfast bar, eating pancakes, drinking coffee and chatting with his mom, a sprawl of magazines in front of her.

"What's this?" He asks, after he gives her a kiss (because kissing Rachel is, like, one of Finn's favourite things to do). "You didn't tell me you were coming over, not that I'm sad about that, of course, but-."

"She's not here for _you_ , Finn," his brother points out disdainfully, with a roll of his eyes. "I am her friend, too, you know. And she loves me more than you, she told me this morning."

"She does not," Finn argues back because, _hello_ , he's her boyfriend and boyfriends trump friends who you can duet with to Barbra Streisand and go shopping with. "Right, Rach?"

She holds up her hands in surrender, not willing to participate in their petty argument, making Burt chuckle. ("You've got the right idea there, kid.")

"Well, she came here for me because we're spending the day together shopping for prom dresses, so, _ha_."

"Oh, yeah, prom, which she's going to with _me_ ," Finn retaliates, sticking his tongue out at his brother, who promptly sticks his back out at Finn.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I lived with two eighteen year olds," Carole teases, sitting next to Rachel. She points at one of the dresses on the open page, it's red, figure-hugging and she knows Rachel would look stunning in it. "That one's pretty."

Finn stops his argument with Kurt to glance over his girlfriend's shoulder. "Mom's right."

She smiles at him. "It may be nice, but Kurt's already warned me that he has the final decision here."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm a genius, especially when it comes to fashion and Rachel likes animal sweaters," Kurt says, snapping the magazine away from his family and flicking to one of the pages he'd earmarked earlier. "Now this one…"

Finn pulls a face. It's nice enough, sure, but it's a little extravagant with the huge, puffed out skirt and it doesn't scream Rachel to him.

"Whatever," Kurt dismisses him, packing his bag. "You ready, Rach?"

"Yep!" She says excitedly, looking forward to prom dress shopping with her friends, even if Kurt is a pain in the ass, as Finn would say, when it comes to clothes. She kisses Finn goodbye and tells him she'll text him with updates.

She does, eventually, text him at around lunchtime. He instinctively grins when he sees it's from Rachel, but his face falls when he realises that she's not having a good time at the hands of his brother. He calls her immediately.

" _Hey, Finn_ ," she answers, her tone dejected and he wishes he could reach through the phone and hug her.

"Hey, babe. Not going so good?"

" _No! Every time I try on a dress, even ones Kurt picked out himself, he finds one million things wrong with it. I'm never going to find a prom dress!_ " She wails down the phone. He kind of feels like hitting his brother for ruining this for her, honestly. " _This last one, he said, and I quote, "wow, Rachel, that looks really ugly on you." Ugly, Finn. Ugly._ " Now he really feels like hitting his brother.

"I think you're beautiful," he tells her because he knows it will make her smile and, well, it's the truth. "I don't care what dress you're wearing, Rachel. I'm not going to be looking at the dress, I'm going to be looking at _you_. If you're wearing it, it will be stunning. Trust me."

" _Finn…_ "

"Trust. Me."

" _Fine_." She snaps a picture of herself in the dressing room with a pout on her face and he laughs, saves it to his phone and sends her a reply about how she's the Cutest Human Ever. Also the truth.

It takes hours, but finally Rachel and Kurt agree upon a dress and they return home, Rachel hugging Finn straight away.

"I missed you today," he murmurs as she rests her head against his chest, dropping kisses against her hair.

"Me, too. And, just for the record, I totally prefer you to Kurt."

"Knew it," he smirks.

 **Review? :)**


	51. Are you sure?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **This one is kinda short but I'm supposed to be meeting one of my all time football players right now - the meet & great was postponed until March and I'm really upset - so I didn't really feel like adding much more to it. Sorry 'bout that! Anyway, I hope you still like it! (PS. A lot of the upcoming chapters - particularly the ones that I've written between 60-70 are quite long, I don't even think they count as drabbles anymore, so hopefully they'll make up for the length of this one!)**

Shortly after the birth of their fifth child Noah (Puck was overjoyed when he learnt that Finn and Rachel named their son after him, _overjoyed_ ) Rachel decides she wants to take a break from her career.

"Are you sure?" Finn asks her as they lie awake next to each other. It's three am when Rachel wakes him, a sudden urge to discuss this with the most important person in her life. "I mean, you haven't taken a break since… well, you never have," he realises.

She's worked consistently ever since her high school graduation and even during her pregnancies she found work, recording albums and teaching schoolchildren how to play the piano.

"Yes, Finn," she assures him. "I need a break. I feel like I don't see the kids enough, or you, and my family is a priority to me."

He smiles at that, the thought of getting to spend even more time with his wife making his mouth turn up at the corners.

"I've won numerous Tony awards, recorded #1 albums, married the best man in the world and have the five cutest kids _ever_. I have everything I could ever have wanted or dreamed about. We don't have a shortage of money, so I don't _really_ need to work right now if I don't want to. And I don't."

"Won't you miss Broadway, though? I mean, that's all you've ever dreamed about. Do you really want to give that up?"

"For you? Our family? Yes," she says confidently. "Broadway has been amazing, obviously, and I'm so lucky to have succeeded like I have in such a cut-throat industry. I love Broadway with all my heart, I always will, but you and the kids are more important."

He's always known she loves him more than Broadway. This is the first time she's explicitly said it though and it fills him with so much happiness. He feels a lump in his throat and struggles to reply without tearing up.

He eventually manages to say, "you're the best wife and mom in the world", his eyes all misty.

 **Leave a review, please! They make my day!**


	52. Have fun

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee, I'm just mildly obsessed with Finn and Rachel's relationship and the thought of them having adorable, mini-Rachel makes me giddy.**

Finn takes a sip of his coffee as he watches his wife and two daughters get ready to leave for their girl's day out. He can't help but admire how amazing of a mom Rachel is as she plaits Ava's hair, weaving the dark strands perfectly. He can't believe that she ever doubted how good she'd be at this.

"Right, ladies, shoes on," she says, hurrying Ava along. She heads over to Finn while their daughters put on their shoes and grab their coats.

"Hey. You look nice."

"Thank you," she smiles, giving him a kiss. "Carry on with your homework," she instructs Chris sassily, who rolls his eyes at his parents' show of affection.

Ava and Abby join them, hugging their dad and brothers. "Have fun!" Finn says before Rachel ushers them out of the front door, eager to get on with their activities for the day.

She decided earlier this week to take them to a pampering session because she's in desperate need of a spa day and her daughters just want to do anything she does.

They arrive at the spa and are guided into a private room where Rachel will receive a massage and facial, while she's arranged for Ava and Abby to have their fingernails and toenails painted next to her.

She feels immensely relaxed as the masseuse kneads her shoulders, all tension leaving her body. She's zoned out, feeling lovely and peaceful, when she feels a small hand jabbing into her side. Her eyes pop open to find her youngest daughter staring at her, a toothy grin on her face.

So much for quiet time, she sighs, lifting the toddler into her lap. Abby sticks out her tiny fingers, nearly smacking Rachel in the face, to show off her painted nails.

"Ooh, baby, they're pretty, aren't they?" She coos. Finn will not like this, arguing that she's making his little girls grow up faster than necessary (he's really paranoid about this), but Rachel thinks it's adorable. She can't help but notice that Abby has selected a red colour that's almost identical to her own nails and she squeezes her daughter closer to her chest, kissing her dark, curly hair.

"Like oo!"

"Yes, baby, that's right!" She exclaims proudly as Abby claps her manicured hands together, giggling in delight. "What colour did you choose Ava girl?"

Ava lifts up her hands from her seat, wiggling them around in the air. Hers, too, are almost identical in colour to Rachel's.

Once they've finished at the spa, they go for a coffee at a cute little café. Ava and Abby demolish a muffin each (they may look like her, but they are so their father's daughters) while Rachel sips a herbal tea, snapping pictures to send to Finn.

And, as it wouldn't be a girls day without a bit of shopping, Rachel takes them to buy a dress each (plus two shirts for Chris and Sean respectively), also buying a little black dress for hers and Finn's date night the following weekend.

When they finally arrive home, Ava and Abby immediately run upstairs to try on their new outfit and Finn grins as they strut down the stairs, performing the mandatory fashion show that occurs when somebody buys new clothes.

"Did you have a good day?" Finn asks, looking down as his wife leans against him.

"It was great," she replies, happily watching her children dance around in their new dresses.

 **I love Ava & Abby so much. Do you agree?**


	53. Sit down, I'll get it

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

Ava marches into the room, stands in front of the sofa where Finn and Rachel are sitting, Rachel leaning against her husband with his hand resting against her seven month pregnant stomach. Ava places her hands on her hips, tilts her head at a slight angle, purses her lips and stares at her parents until Finn asks, "what do you want, Ava?"

"I need my baby doll."

"Right now?" He's quite comfortable relaxing with his wife and doesn't really feel like hunting through his daughter's bedroom for her favourite doll.

"Yes, I'm practising for when the baby comes," she says incredulously, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Finn smiles at his wife. Their daughter is adorable.

"I know where it is, I'll go get it," Rachel says, making to get up from the sofa, but Finn simply shakes his head and lightly pushes her back.

"No, no, Rach. You need rest. Sit down, I'll get it."

He removes his hand from where their new child is currently kicking up a storm and gets up from the sofa, sighing a little before making his way to Ava's very pink bedroom. His first thought is that it's a mess, with numerous princess dresses strewn over the floor. His daughter loves fancy dress and often puts on little performances for them. She's amazing and so, so sweet, but the thing she isn't so good at is tidying up, preferring her bedroom floor to the fancy dress box his mom bought her for Christmas. He picks up the clothes and tidies them away, doing the same with the selection of toys he finds all over the place. Eventually, he finds her baby doll, hidden under the bed with no clothes on. He finds an outfit, one he knows is Ava's favourite, and dresses the plastic doll, then takes her downstairs, along with a collection of baby supplies that his daughter deems necessary for preparing for her new sibling.

He returns to the living room to find his two favourite people sat side-by-side, Ava with her head resting against Rachel's shoulder and her hand on her bump. He grins broadly, feeling immensely lucky to have the family he does. He snaps a quick picture and uploads it to Facebook, because he knows their extended family love seeing little moments of them like this. Ava's eyes were drooping when he entered the room, but when she spies her baby doll, she jumps off the sofa and into her role.

She takes her part as mommy _very_ seriously. She orders Finn around as she cradles the baby, heeding the doll's every desire. (It's one of those life-like ones that you feed and it wees and such.)

Her parents watch her happily as she feeds the doll some of the "food" that is included when you buy her. Finn leans down to his wife's ear and whispers, "she's going to be a great big sister, isn't she?"

"Yes," she agrees, admiring their adorable child. She can't wait until this baby is born, she wants to meet them desperately and wants to see Ava with them. She's been so excited ever since they first explained to her that there was a new baby in mommy's tummy that she'd get to meet a couple of months down the line. She highly anticipates watching her family expand and the unconditional love they have for each other grow along with it.

 **I really like writing Ava, can you tell? Lol. Review?**


	54. I made reservations

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **So this is written from a totally different POV, something I've never tried before. I started writing it and it really intrigued me, but I don't know - I hope you like it!**

She is sitting in the chair in the corner of the coffee shop she visits regularly. She likes this seat the best as it grants her an excellent view of the entire shop and all the customers that enter. People-watching is like her most-favourite thing to do as she sips her coffee.

The door opens with a tingling of the bell and she is taken-aback by the beauty that enters. She's quite short, she notices, but her legs go on for days, bare and tanned. The mid-thigh length skirt she's wearing accentuates her shapely limbs and her top is fairly low cut, allowing her a wonderful view. She blushes because this woman is exquisite, her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders, making her look like she belongs in a shampoo commercial, or something. She watches, enchanted, as the woman orders her coffee and takes a seat near her own. She's close enough to smell her perfume and… _God_ , it's just as incredible as her appearance.

In her periphery, she notices a giant, bumbling man enter the café, but he's boring and her eyes swiftly flick back to the woman. She's smiling brightly now and it's the most dazzling thing she's ever seen. She's so captivated by the woman's beauty that it takes her a few moments to realise she is no longer alone. The lanky man is now sitting beside the brunette, his arm instinctively reaching round her shoulders. She feels a fiery jealousy erupt within her even though she doesn't know this woman and probably would never have built up the courage to approach her.

They're talking now and she listens fervently to hear the beautiful woman's voice, delighting when it's as elegant and composed as she looks. She laughs at something he says, her musical giggle sounding like something from heaven. Their bodies are positioned intimately close together, his naturally moving with hers as though they are tethered. She notes with dismay that the quality is something which only comes with intense love and years spent together.

She continues to watch as the man says, "So, I made reservations for tonight," and the woman's whole face lights up with elation.

"At Sardi's?"

"Of course, babe, where else?"

She squeals a little and claps her hands together and her heart aches a little as she observes because that's possibly the most adorable thing she's ever seen. She wishes she could be the one having the conversation with her, providing her with unadulterated happiness, as this man is. They start kissing now and she is entranced by the woman, her hand in his hair and his hands snaking their way to her back, his touch protective and caring. She wonders whether the woman is a good kisser, what it would feel like to have her lips pressed against her own. She flushes slightly at the thought and for the first time, looks down at her coffee, her cheeks coloured pink. They finish kissing after what feels like a long and torturous age, she knows because she sees them stand up, the man entwining his fingers with the woman's. Admittedly, they look good together, their appearances complimenting the other perfectly; they look right and the woman looks content, radiant even, as they leave the coffee shop hand-in-hand. She sighs as she watches them through the window as they walk down the street and returns to her mug, finishing off the cold liquid. She, too, stands and orders another coffee, this time with a muffin because she's sad and needs to indulge in an unhealthy treat.

She regrets not talking to the woman before, when her partner was not there, but she knows she would have likely been turned down, and thinks that situation would probably feel worse. Although, sitting alone while they kissed felt pretty crappy, too. She just hopes he treats her the way she deserves, showing her the bountiful respect she requires and that hopefully she'll see the woman again someday.

 **Review?**

 **PS. If you don't like it, the next chapter is back to normal. :)**


	55. I don't mind

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee ain't mine.**

He comes to realise that he would do anything for Rachel.

Obviously, she's a huge musical theatre fan and him… well, not so much. But she drags him along to various performances anyway, particularly when they first arrive in New York and she wants to see as many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions as possible.

He sits beside her, holding her hand tightly in his. He gently strokes his fingers over the back of her hand and loves when her grip on him tightens. He doesn't really watch the show, if he's honest, instead preferring to watch his adorable girlfriend.

She always, without fail, looks so completely happy as she watches the actors and actresses on stage. They're performing a large ensemble musical number and she's awestruck. The singing, the dancing, the set, the props; everything, it's perfect. She's entranced by the stage, a broad smile invading her face.

When the play finishes, Rachel is on her feet in a second, clapping as loud as she can. She glances back at him, still seated, and pulls him up, shooting him a glare until he starts applauding with the rest of the audience. In reward, she kisses his cheek and he smiles. He guesses going to the theatre with Rachel isn't _so_ bad.

Rachel, too, would do anything for her boyfriend.

Personally, she's not really a sports fan. She finds the games boring, the fans overly aggressive and just doesn't understand/appreciate the entire sporting culture. But her boyfriend absolutely adores sports, particularly football, and when he asks he to come watch one of his games, she can't refuse.

He repeatedly checks with her if she's sure she wants to come, because he knows she doesn't really like the jocks, as they're the main people who slushie her, but she says, "I don't mind. I want to see my boyfriend play, show everybody how proud I am of you, I'm not going to let a couple of bullies spoil it for me."

So she sits, next to Kurt and Carole, in the stands, wrapped up in a coat, hat and scarf, as it's a December evening and Lima gets pretty cold. She doesn't totally understand the game, but whenever Finn takes possession of the ball, she jumps up from her seat, clapping excitedly and when he scores, she cheers loudly for him, louder than anybody else in the stands. He spots her in the crowd, jumping up and down adorably and he grins, pointing in her direction.

After the game (which the McKinley Titans win, largely thanks to her boyfriend) she runs to the edge of the field, meeting Finn there and embracing him tightly. He hugs her back and plants a scorching kiss on her lips, not caring that the entire school and their families can see them.

 **Review?**

 **(Also if the guest reviewer from the previous chapter is reading this, I didn't realise I praised Rachel more than Finn AT ALL - that's not the intention, considering I actually love Finn like x100 more than her just because I relate to him more! I guess the stories just came out that way? Sometimes it's quite difficult to get the title to actually fit and it seems more plausible to me that Finn would say the things to Rachel, rather than the other way around. I'll try to write more about our adorable dork in future chapters though!)**


	56. It brings out your eyes

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

For Kurt and Blaine's daughters' sixth birthday, they're celebrating by throwing her a fancy dress party. ("Yes, Finn, that includes the adults," Kurt says, rolling his eyes when his brother immediately calls him after receiving the invitation.)

Rachel decides they have to dress up in co-ordinating costumes, all of them, so they're going as "super-family". Rachel, Ava and Abby are in identical outfits, a long-sleeved blue top with a red skater skirt; Finn, Chris and Sean wearing the blue suit, red cape and red underpants, and Noah in a tiny onesie, all emblazoned with the iconic "S" logo, of course.

"Do we really have to do this?" Finn complains for the one hundredth time as he sits on the bed, already dressed in his costume, while he waits for his wife to finish her hair and make-up.

"Yes, Finn. It's a fancy dress party."

"But couldn't we have gone in something, I don't know, less… fitted?"

"Why?" She questions, eyeing her husband up and down. "You look great in that. Very handsome."

"Thanks, Rach. I just feel really… exposed. Like everybody can see my body. I don't know, I don't like it."

"Babe, it's going to be mostly kids and family there," she says reassuringly, putting down her make-up and standing in front of him. "Nobody is going to be looking at your body, except for me, and I like what I see a lot, thank you very much."

He flushes with embarrassment as she separates his legs and stands in between them, leaning down to kiss him on the lips. Her arms are around his neck and she begins to play with his cape.

"You look cute in your little cape, babe."

" _Cute_? Fantastic, just what I was going for," he replies sarcastically, still feeling incredibly self-conscious.

"I like the blue colour, it brings out your eyes," she compliments, giving him a dazzling smile, which he returns, kissing her again.

He glances at his watch, noticing they don't have long left before the party begins and with five kids, getting out the house is no easy task; it takes them about ten minutes. "I'm going to get the kids' shoes on. Hurry up, Rach, we need to get going."

"Ok, ok," she says, pushing him out of their bedroom and finishing off applying her red lipstick and styling her hair.

Eventually, all seven members of the Hudson clan are in the car and on their way to Elsie's party. Kurt laughs out loud upon their arrival fifteen minutes later. ("Wow, Finn! Those tights! Ooh la la!") It attracts the attention of the rest of the family, who all approach the Hudson's in an attempt to see what all the fuss is about; they all join in the laughter and jokes when they see the 6'3" ex-football player dressed up as Superman. Finn _really_ feels like punching his brother. But Rachel, being the absolute angel she is, comes to his defence, rubbing his muscular arm and saying, "well I think he looks great!"

He feels less humiliated after all Rachel's compliments and resoluteness that he does in fact look good. He determines to spend the rest of the party enjoying himself with his dorky wife and kids.

And that's what he does.

 **Review? :)**


	57. There is enough room for both of us

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee!**

During the lead up to Regionals in their Junior year, Mr Schue thinks the New Directions need a group bonding session. The club suggest numerous places including Europe, New York, California, but no. Their teacher decides to spend the weekend camping, in Lima, in the middle of winter. As much as they love him, they really do hate him sometimes.

It's decided, though, and no amount of pestering will get him to change his mind. So it's official, after school finishes on the Friday afternoon, the Glee Club pile into a bus and drive down to a campsite located just outside of Lima.

The first thing they do is pitch the tents.

It doesn't go as planned.

Instead of building on their teamwork skills, all the teenagers do is argue about which piece goes where, that their partner is reading the instructions incorrectly and who is sharing the tent with whom. According to school policy, the tents must be shared by same-sexes, but even that creates friction.

Hours later, when the sleeping arrangements are somewhat organised, the group congregate around an already burning fire pit. Mr Schue hands out marshmallows on sticks, along with graham crackers, which they combine to make s'mores. They sing, too, long into the night. Finn and Rachel duet, Puck gets out his guitar and the boys harmonise perfectly on an old rock song and Mr Schue, of course, performs his obligatory rap, making everybody cringe.

As it nears one am, the New Directions retreat for their tents and all the earlier arrangements are quickly reversed the moment Mr Schue is out of sight; Finn and Rachel sneaking into the same tent as each other, couples like Mike and Tina having the same idea. It's freezing cold and despite the many layers Rachel is wearing (her pyjamas, a fleece, fluffy socks, gloves, a hat) she is still shivering, so Finn offers her to join him in his sleeping bag.

She looks at it warily. "Is there space for me?"

"Of course, there is enough room for both of us," he says, patting the spot beside him. She sighs, crawls over to him as he unzips his sleeping bag and she joins him inside. They snuggle up together and Rachel has to admit, this feels significantly better; Finn's body heat alone heating her up far more than her own sleeping bag and blanket were doing.

He kisses the back of her head, loving the feeling of having her in his arms, of spending the night together like this for the first time. "Goodnight, Rach."

"Goodnight, Finn."

In the morning, when they leave the tent together, Mr Schue gives them disapproving looks, as if to say, "you're supposed to be the co-captains, you should be setting the right example". Whatever. It's not as though anything inappropriate happened; they were just lying together. They haven't had sex yet and Finn is certainly not going to take advantage of her like that, not in a tent on a school trip. She deserves better for their first time. Anyway, he just enjoyed holding her while they slept and waking up with her by his side. He can't wait for a lifetime of waking up next to Rachel Berry.

 **Review? :)**


	58. You don't have to say anything

**[DISCLAIMER] DOn't own Glee.**

Rachel is lying face-down on her bed, a sad expression on her face. She immediately came here as soon as she got back from school, marching up the stairs without uttering a word to her fathers and throwing her bag carelessly to the floor. She even leaves her clothes discarded onto the floor when the changes into the more comfortable attire of leggings and one of Finn's oversized hoodies. It's safe to say that she hasn't had the best of days. She feels the vibration of her cell phone by her leg, where she dropped it earlier when the flung herself onto her bed and she groans, not feeling like anymore human contact today. The phone vibrates again and again; the person on the other end incessantly texting Rachel, desperately trying to get her attention. She thinks she knows who it is and reluctantly picks up the device.

 _5 unread messages_ , it reads and, unsurprisingly, they are all from her concerned boyfriend.

 _16.32: Where are you? Glee started 10 minutes ago. You've never been late in your life_

 _16.44: feelin pretty worried rn rach. everything ok?_

 _17.00: raaaacchhhheeellll_

 _17.04: i just rang your dads and they haven't heard from you either. what's goin on babe?_

 _17.39: are you ignoring me?_

As she reads them, another message appears on the screen.

 _17.43: right idc what you say, i'm coming over_

She taps on the screen, opening up the keyboard and quickly replies:

 _That's not necessary, Finn. I'm fine. Just want to be alone._

 _that doesn't sound like you're ok. nd puck told me when a girl says they're fine they're never actually fine_ , he returns within seconds.

She shakes her head, not understanding why her boyfriend still takes everything his delinquent of a best friend says as Bible – especially on relationships, which Puck is by no means an expert in.

 _i just had a bad day is all_

 _why?_ he shoots back, curious.

 _people_

He can almost sense her dejected tone, the downcast expression she wears on her face whenever somebody says something critical about her talent (or lack of, which is the _stupidest_ thing Finn has ever heard, because, hello, have you heard that girl sing?), her appearance or her relationship with Finn (that will, apparently, not last because she isn't good enough for him, or something – honestly, Finn hates the people that he goes to school with. He _hates_ them.)

 _what did they say rach? want me to beat them up?_

 _violence does not solve anything, Finn_ , she admonishes, her stern voice coming across through her writing. He thinks she'd probably glare at him, too, if they were together.

 _sometimes it does. you don't have to say anything, rach. i know you. tell me what happened_

She sighs, hesitating over the keyboard, unsure as to whether to say it, but then she thinks, what the heck, because her boyfriend will not leave her alone until she tells him what's wrong, like a small child asking his parents "are we there yet?" So she types everything out, sparing no detail, pouring out all of her emotions and, admittedly, it does feel better once everything is out in the open.

 _can't believe it. maybe i should call the police?_

 _NO FINN_

 _Rach, they were extremely rude towards you and offensive about your religion and overall just disgusting human beings who were HARASSING you when you did nothing wrong, you didn't even retaliate. that's not right, we need to call the police, this can't stand_

 _I don't want to create drama over nothing_

 _OVER NOthING? Come on Rach, nothing will happen to you if you report this… this hate crime_

Her face is red and blotchy from her earlier crying session and again, she feels the sensation of her eyes welling with tears, moisture building as she thinks about them abusing her over and over again, both verbally and physically. But every other time in her life she's snitched on somebody, it's always had serious repercussions for her, like in the sixth grade when a cheerleader slammed her into the locker for telling the teacher she copied her test.

Another text comes through, reading:

 _If they want to try anything, I'll be there to protect you. Promise._

For the first time since the morning, her fear melts away. Yes, she still feels horrible and angry and every other kind of negative emotion, but she knows that Finn has her back. No matter what, he's always there for her and he can always tell when there is something bothering her. They know each other so well, they are linked so intricately by the invisible tether Finn always talks about, that she can't even attempt to hide anything from him.

For the first time since the morning, she actually smiles as the heaviness of the conversation makes way for stupid puns Finn sends her as he does his History homework.

She thanks God for blessing her with the most wonderful boyfriend ever, feeling immensely loved and grateful.

 **Eh, not sure about this one... What do you guys think? :/**


	59. Wow

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine, I just really love Finchel!**

"Ava!" Finn yells, his four year old daughter diverting his attention from Chris eating (or, more accurately, getting food all over himself) as she nears their perfect white walls that he and Rachel agonised over, brandishing a large felt pen in her hand. "No drawing on the walls!" He hurries over to her, lifting her into his arms and swiftly removing the pen from her grasp, which of course causes her to start wailing. Loudly. And when Ava starts crying, Chris joins in.

He hears the sound of Rachel padding down the stairs, evidently worried about her sobbing children. She comes into view and Finn's mouth falls open. She has a television interview this morning, her first ever, and she's a little nervous. She's been getting ready with Kurt over Skype for the past two hours, deciding between which skirt makes her butt look amazing, but isn't _too_ inappropriate and which coloured lipstick is best and which shoes compliment her outfit the most, but aren't painful to walk in. According to his brother these decisions are all life and death and his wife had even kicked him out earlier when he tried to get dressed in _his own bedroom._ Anyway, to cut a long story short, as she appears in his line of sight, he is amazed as she looks absolutely stunning.

Her hair is curled slightly, finishing around her shoulders (she'd just had it cut, like a week ago, and he thinks it's so pretty, although he's always loved her hair, the softness, the smell; he loves playing with it when they lie beside each other in bed) and she's regrown her bangs, reminding him of her teenage self, in the best way possible. He always loved the way her bangs framed her face and was so glad when she decided to bring them back. With Kurt's advice, she has lightly applied make-up, giving her a natural finish. Her eyelashes look super long and fluttery; he thinks she's put those fake eyelashes on again that totally freak him out. The first time he saw her apply them, he panicked because _holy crap, why was his wife putting glue on her eyelids_ , but she'd promised him it was ok and didn't hurt at all. Her lips are adorned in his favourite shade of pink on her, a light, baby pink that makes her lips appear so soft, so supple that he just wants to kiss it right off, but he realises she'd probably smack him for "ruining her make-up" and forcing her to do it all over again. Her outfit is the cherry on top of the perfect wife cake. She's wearing a tight, knee-length black skirt, he's heard Kurt call it a pencil skirt, although he doesn't think that makes any sense because it isn't even similar to a pencil, like, at all. She looks incredible in it, though. She's wearing a white blouse that's tucked into the aforementioned skirt, accentuating her waist perfectly. She's left the first few buttons undone, revealing a little bit of skin, but not too much that he'd worry about creepy men ogling his wife. She's wearing red heels to add a splash off colour, along with a silver charm necklace he'd bought her as a "push present", with a small 'A' and 'C' dangling from the chain.

"Wow," he says, because what else can he had to that? He's star-struck, staring at his beautiful, out-of-this-world wife. "Just – wow."

She smiles brightly, caught off guard by his praise. "What's wrong with the kids?"

"Ava tried to draw on the wall again," he explains dumbly, still completely entranced by Rachel. "So I stopped her and she started crying and you know what happens when she's upset."

"My little munchkin starts crying, too," she finishes, walking over to her son's highchair and planting a kiss on the small spot of his face not covered by food. "I would pick you up, baby, but I can't," she tells him, frowning when he sticks his arms out towards her.

"Don't ruin mommy's pretty outfit, mucky pup." He bounces Ava in his arms, the girl slowly calming down. He closes the gap between him and his wife, his eyes scanning up and down her entire body, his lips lifting into a smile. "Seriously, you look… incredible."

"Thank you, _Finny_." She grins, kissing him soundly. She pulls away when she feels Ava tugging at her hair, a scowl on her face.

"My daddy," she says, folding her arms in front of her.

Affronted, Rachel argues back, "but he was my husband first."

"Nope, mine."

"Ladies, ladies," he chuckles. "There's enough of me to share."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He feigns confusion, looking down at his wife with her hand resting on his upper chest and dressed the way she is, utterly flawless. "What? Me? No, never."

"Dork," she says, rolling her eyes at him. She sees the clock behind his head and is disappointed as she realises she needs to get going. She kisses Chris again and gives Ava a tight hug, making up for their jealous argument about who Finn belongs to (although, Rachel still thinks she won), then it's just her husband left. She does a little twirl in front of him, then glances up at his face, looking at him from under her lashes. "What do you think?"

He lets out a breath and tugs her towards him so there's almost no space between their bodies (he's let Ava go now and she's running round their kitchen, completely ignorant of her parents). He kisses her again, not caring about what Kurt would say about her make-up, however Rachel draws a line at him messing up her hair in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

"I really have to go. I'll be late."

"You look awesome, Rach. Really. And you're going to kick butt in your interview."

"Thank you," she replies, melting at his sweetness. She allows him one final chaste kiss before she grabs her handbag and leaves.

Finn sits down, taking a long sip of his coffee, missing her already. Then he spies his daughter with a pen in hand and sighs. Today will be anything other than peaceful alone with two crazy kids. "Ava!" He shouts, chasing after his giggling little girl.

 **Review? :)**


	60. Happy Birthday

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

 **Can you believe we're up to chapter 60 already?**

"Am I going to be old?" She whispers self-consciously as they lie awake, Finn spooning his wife.

He pulls her closer to him as he answers, "no, Rach. Forty is still young. Besides, you're only as old-."

"As you feel," Rachel finishes. "My grandmother used to say that all the time. You have turned into my old grandma."

"Thanks, Rach."

"It's a compliment. She was very pretty, too." She rolls over to face him, giggling softly at the horrified expression on his face. "What?"

"I really love when my wife compares me to her dead grandmother," he deadpans. "It feels great."

"Hey! I said you were pretty. That's a good thing."

"Really? Can you not think of an adjective other than ' _pretty_ '?"

She considers it for a moment, takes in his sleep-mussed hair, his sparkling hazel eyes and soft smile he reserves just for her. "Nope. You are extremely pretty."

He frowns, then asks, "can't I be hot?" He lowers the covers, revealing his bare chest and jokingly flexes his muscles.

"Hmmm, no," she says. "Unless you want my to retract my complement entirely." She raises an eyebrow at him. "I find you repulsive."

He rolls his eyes. "Baby, I know you have won too many Tony awards to count, but that acting was appalling. You know I'm the most attractive guy you've ever seen."

"Second."

" _What_? Who is this guy?"

"David Boreanaz," she says, a smirk forming on her face. "Now _he_ was hot. I remember he was the first celebrity crush I had. I was convinced we were going to get married."

"I bet he's nothing compared to the guy you actually married," he retorts.

"Debatable," she teases. "I do have to thank you for cheering me up, though. I was really upset about turning – _you know what –_ but I feel much better now."

His chest puffs up proudly. "See, I'm a way better husband than that David guy would have ever been."

She laughs, then sobers up, batting her eyelids at him. "So, when do I get my present?"

"I had to get you a present?"

" _Finn_."

He chuckles lowly, checks the time, sees it has passed midnight and pulls out a large pink gift bag from beside the bed. "Happy Birthday, babe," he says as he hands it to her.

"Thank you!" She immediately tears open the gift bag and delves inside, pulling out one of the wrapped presents. She glances at him, shakes it a little to see if she can guess what it is, and then peels back the paper, revealing a snow globe. It isn't just any old snow globe, she realises, as she looks closer and sees there are seven familiar figures inside. She swallows in an attempt to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, but is unsuccessful. The figures are of them, their family. There's Chris, Sean and Abby building a snowman, Ava sat on the snow-covered floor with Noah in her lap and there's her Finn, dressed in his favourite puffy vest and beanie combo, holding on to mini-Rachel's hand as though it's a lifeline. She lets out a little sob as she notices that they've captured his smile perfectly.

"Turn that thing there," he whispers. So she does and gasps as it plays their version of Faithfully. "Do you like it?"

"Finn! I love it," she cries, hugging him tightly. He rubs her shoulder as her tears soak his chest. "It's the best present anybody has ever gotten me!"

"It's not over yet. Back to the gift bag, Mrs. Hudson."

She gives him a curious look, then peers back inside the bag. There's a hat and scarf, identical to the ones in the snow globe, the sequel to a book she's just finished, her favourite perfume and, finally, two tickets for a week-long holiday to the South of France.

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Finn, I-." She can't speak, convey all her emotions, the love she has for him, even after all these years, so she just kisses him. He responds eagerly.

Rachel's pretty sure this is the best birthday she's ever had, her husband making the day so special with his thoughtful little gestures, like the waffles he brings her in the morning, along with her favourite tea and the fact that he sits and watches her shows with her while she eats said breakfast, even though he's made it known on numerous occasions that he hates them. The rest of the day is perfect, too, as they spend it at the park with their children and he surprises her again in the evening when they return, finding all their family and friends in their house to celebrate.

"Remember to make a wish," Abby reminds her as she blows out the candles on her three-tiered cake, her eyes squeezed shut.

"What did you wish for, mom?" Chris asks, his face lit with curiosity.

"Nothing," she says, ruffling his already messy hair and exchanging looks with her husband. She smiles at his confused expression, so wonderfully happy. "I have everything I could ever have wanted and more."

 **If anybody noticed, this links back Finchel's holiday to France in chapter 32! And also, I don't blame Rachel, David Boreanaz is my celebrity crush too (as well as Cory, obviously!) ;)**

 **Review?**


	61. I'll pick it up after work

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

Ava had gone up to college that fall and, with her busy schedule, she thought she wouldn't be able to make it home for her birthday today. It would be the first time she'd spend her birthday away from her family and, despite the fact that they put on a strong front for her, they are admittedly disappointed they won't get to see her. That was until one of Ava's professors had a "family emergency" and had to cancel all lectures this week, leaving Ava free to spend the time, and her birthday, with her family. She calls Rachel straight away, who screams down the phone in excitement then starts saying, "oh my God I have so much to do before tonight, so many preparations."

" _Mom, it's ok. As long as I get to see you guys_."

"No, this is important. Gotta go, sweetheart. See you tonight." She hangs up the phone and immediately presses speed dial one for her husband, not wasting a second after he picks up to begin talking. "Babe, Ava's coming home for her birthday tonight!"

She says this all in one breath and it takes her husband a few moments to decipher her words, but then he gasps and she knows he's understood. " _Ava's coming home?"_

" _Yes_ , that's what I said." She rolls her eyes on the other end of the line. "I have so much to do here, so can you go grocery shopping for me?"

" _Sure, I'll pick it up after work. What do you need_?"

"Pizzas, get a mixture, margarita, pepperoni, chicken. We need sandwich food; buy brown and two white loaves, as well as ham and cheese. Oh, and get more butter while you're at it. Are you writing this down?"

" _Yes, Rach_ ," he responds, chuckling softly.

"Good." She proceeds to list about thirty other items and before Finn can say goodbye and tell her he loves her, she hangs up.

He pulls up on the drive after work and brings the groceries into the kitchen, Rachel moving like The Flash to get everything unpacked and ready for Ava's arrival in about two hours. He greets his parents while Rachel, with Abby's assistance, begins preparing the sandwiches. He kisses his mom on the cheek. "Hey, how long have you been here?"

"A couple of hours," Carole replies. "We were due to visit Rachel anyway."

"Has she been like this the whole time?" He glances at his wife, the panicked expression on her face as she slices the block of cheddar worrying him.

"Unfortunately. I tried to help, but she wasn't having any of it."

He nods, yeah, his wife is like that and he heads over to the kitchen area, standing behind her. He kneads her shoulders and she leans back against him, exhaustion playing with her features. He presses a comforting kiss to the top of her head. "You ok?"

"No! There's so much that needs to get done and no time to do it. This birthday needs to be perfect for Av-."

"Woah. Who said it needs to be perfect?"

"We always make a big deal of birthdays. What if we don't and Ava thinks we don't love her as much as the other kids?" She frets and he turns his wife around so she's facing him.

"Ava knows that we absolutely adore her, just like all her siblings do, too. I promise, Rach." He looks into her eyes, sees her worry fading, although not quite disappearing and he realises what he has to do. "Ok, what else needs to be done?"

She smiles lovingly at her husband as he ties her floral apron around himself. She only allows herself to bask in him for a moment or two (it ends up being longer. What can she say? Her husband's the cutest) before she sets to work again, preparations being carried out at a significantly faster speed with Finn helping out as well.

Two hours later, the front door opens and Rachel runs to it, immediately engulfing her oldest daughter in a tight hug. Finn watches happily as his family is reunited. Abby hugs her next, then Chris who, as a teenager, has one hand casually resting in a pocket, not wanting to seem too eager about his big sister's return home. Sean and Noah greet her, too, then Carole, Kurt and her younger cousins rush forward, leaving him leaning against the wall, his lips lifting in a smile. Eventually Ava has been hugged by every friend of family member invited (it turns out, Rachel had given them a precautionary "save the date" just in case this situation arose) and it's his turn. He embraces his daughter, her arms squeezing around his waist and her head resting against his shoulder. She feels like a little girl again as he rubs her back and plays with the ends of her hair.

"I've missed you, daddy," she murmurs against his shirt.

"I've missed you, too, Ava-girl, so, so much," he replies, kissing her forehead. After several minutes in that position, he pulls away, holding her at arms length. "You look good. How's college? Is it fun? No boys taking advantage of you, are there? Have you told them your dad is a football player who can snap them in half?"

She giggles, shaking her head at him adoringly. "Thank you, it's great, yes, no and no, _do not_ do that."

"Why not? Fathers are allowed to intimidate their daughter's boyfriends. Right, Leroy? Little fear, it's good. Keeps them on their toes."

Ava turns to Rachel, horrified. "Is he being serious?"

"I'm afraid so," she says, laughing. "I thought my dads were protective," she whispers in Ava's ear. "But they're nothing compared to how yours will be when you start dating."

"Oh, wonderful," she deadpans. "I'm going to be single forever."

"Exactly!"

"Ignore him, Ava. He's a dork, really." He sticks his tongue out at Rachel and she smirks. "See? Point proven."

"Whatever," he says, ignoring his wife's gentle teasing. "Let's go eat! I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"Absolutely." He grins at his wife. "You say all these things, but you love me really."

"That's debatable," she says as he shoves a whole sandwich in his mouth, his cheeks puffing out like a hamster's.

Ava and Rachel stay back while the rest of the family descends on the plates of food.

"Mom, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

She wraps an arm around her daughter, bringing her closer into her side. "I wanted to because I love you. Who knows how many more birthdays I'll have before you leave home for good? I'm going to make the most of every one I can."

"You know I'll always comeback, don't you? No matter how old I am, I'll always be around to visit you… and dad… God, _what is he doing now_?"

Rachel glances over at her husband to see him juggling oranges, a stupid smile on his face. She tries to resist laughing because that's what he wants. She can't help herself, though, and eventually the two of them are in stitches, dying laughing at their favourite guy.

All in all, Rachel needn't have worried. Ava's birthday party is amazing, perfect, even, as the newly-minted nineteen year old blows out the candles on her ridiculous Frozen cake that her dad bought to be amusing, she only wishes that next year she is lucky enough to be with her nerdy family again, as that's all that really matters.

 **I wrote this out of order and have only just realised there's two birthday-related chapters back-to-back! Hope you don't mind!**

 **Review?**


	62. It can wait until tomorrow

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee!**

 **A Christmassy chapter (it's over 1000 words again, can you even call it a drabble?) because there's only a week to go! Yay! Who's excited? I am!**

They decorate the apartment for Christmas, Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Ava and bump. As it's Finn's favourite season, he goes all out, buying a large tree (it has to be fake, upon the insistence of their landlord, so he buys a tree-scented air freshener to make it feel more realistic), lights, baubles, decorations and a glittery gold star he finds for the tree topping.

They spend all evening decorating, drinking mulled wine (all except for Rachel and Ava) and singing along to Christmas songs as they work. Eventually, everything in the bags has either been hung on the tree, is sitting on the fireplace or is covering the walls. It looks amazing, Finn thinks, as he falls onto the sofa at Rachel's side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to his body. He places his hand on her growing bump in an attempt to feel his second child kick, but once again is unsuccessful. He's been trying ever since Rachel told him she could feel the baby's movements and is disappointed he hasn't had the chance to experience their son or daughter's kicks first-hand yet.

"Still nothing?" She asks, feeling bad for him. Her husband is so excited about her pregnancy, it's all he talks about, and she just wants for him to be able to enjoy it and 'meet' their child for the first time.

"Nope," he pouts, leaning down so his face is level with her belly. He begins to talk to him or her, Rachel's hands lovingly stroking his hair as he does so. Kurt and Blaine have gone out with Ava to pick up take-out, so it's just them in the apartment. "Hey, baby," he starts, pressing a kiss to the bump. "It's me, your father, dad, dada, daddy, whatever you want to call me. Just to remind you since this morning that we love you very, very much and you're the greatest thing to happen in my life, apart from your mother and big sister, of course. She's amazing if you haven't already worked it out, and she's the best mom in the entire universe." His eyes dart up to Rachel's, welling with tears, and he grins. "I'm totally making her cry right now."

"That's because your daddy is too perfect for his own good," Rachel pipes in, wiping at her eyes before placing her hands over Finn's.

"Not as perfect as your mommy," he argues confidently. "Anyway, as I was saying, we love you very much and we can't wait to meet you." He kisses her again and pulls away, standing up to walk to the kitchen to fetch his wife a glass of water. "Rach? Come here."

His voice sounds panicked and she gets off the sofa as fast as she can, given the size of her bump. She hurries to the kitchen, stopping when she sees her husband leaning against the doorframe, completely relaxed with a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," he says, his eyes flicking upwards, then back to Rachel's face. He does this several times until, curious, she looks up, too, and sees a twig of green hanging from the ceiling.

"Mistletoe?"

"Yep." His smirk broadens as he stares at her lips and steps closer.

"You want to use it?"

"Yep." Again, he steps closer to her.

She can feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, but closes her eyes, resisting the urge to press her lips against his and completely lose herself in the feel of him. "Fi-. Finn. We- we have to tidy up before Kurt and Blaine get back with the food."

"You'd rather tidy up than kiss your husband?" He questions, his tone disbelieving.

She squeezes her eyes tighter shut, knowing if she looks at him, she'll give in. "That is correct."

"Wow, _really_?"

"Yes, Finn. We have things to do. We can't just mess around, fulfilling your dorky Christmas wishes."

"Messing around with you sounds pretty great actually," he flirts. "Come on, Rach." His hand is now on her cheek, caressing her skin softly. She can feel her resist wavering, considering his proposition. "That stuff, it can wait until tomorrow. You know you want to."

Damn him and damn the sexy voice he is putting on to distract her. She opens one eye, peeking at him. He looks so attractive, even more so than usual and she opens the other eye, wanting to get a better view of him like this. Their eyes are fixed on the other and effortlessly, their lips are pressed together, Rachel's arms around Finn's neck and his hands on the small of her back, bringing her as close as he can with the protruding baby bump. He deepens the kiss, almost making Rachel melt at the sensation. He grins against her lips, knowing the effect he's having on her and vice versa because, honestly, his wife is the hottest, most stunning, most alluring person he's ever seen. When they eventually pull apart, Rachel is giggling.

"What?" He asks, his expression confused.

"You have red lipstick all over your lips." Continuing to laugh, she pushes past him into the kitchen, wetting a cloth and returning to him, wiping away the evidence of their lengthy mistletoe kiss. "Was it worth it?"

"Completely," he replies, tugging her back to him with one hand and hugging her closely. They begin to dance slowly to the Christmas music that is still playing, underneath the mistletoe, no space between their bodies. Rachel's head snaps up from its position on her shoulder when, out of the blue, the baby kicks. Her eyes immediately flick to Finn's.

"Did you feel that?"

His eyes are wide, his mouth open and she thinks she sees a track of tears slipping down his cheek.

"Finn?"

"I – I felt it," he murmurs, his expression filled with awe. "I just felt our baby kick!"

"You felt our baby!" She repeats, her tone gleeful. She kisses him once, twice, three times, immensely happy that he has finally got to experience this with her.

"Oh my god!" He pulls away from Rachel so he can more easily hold his hand against her bump, when he feels more kicks, a flurry of them. "Ah! They're very active!"

"They're telling you they love you, I think," she says sweetly, a wide smile on her face.

"You think?"

"Yeah, definitely. Why wouldn't they? You're the cutest."

"Does it hurt?" He questions when he sees her wince.

"No, no, it's just a little uncomfortable," she explains. "But I don't care because look how happy it's made you."

"I think the little Munchkin loves Christmas just as much as their dad."

"Great, I look forward to it," she deadpans, her sparkling eyes giving her away though. He knows she can't wait until she's a mom again, despite her anxieties about the birth and what happens afterwards, but he'll reiterate what he said earlier, she's the best mom in the history (and future) of the world.

 **Review?**


	63. Cross my heart and hope to die

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee blah blah blah**

 _Hi, Rach._

 _It's me, Finn. Your boyfriend. Although you already knew that because I just handed you this letter._

 _Today you told me that I have never one replied to your (literally) thousands of letters that you sent me as a kid and I feel pretty horrible 'bout that. I apologise for being such an idiot and totally underserving of your unconditional love and friendship. Although I wish you'd told me sooner and I would have done this years ago._

 _Anyway. I just thought you should know that I loved – no, still love – all those things you sent me and I read them all the time. If I'm having a bad day or just miss you, I go back and read them and you never fail to make me smile. Seriously, has anybody ever told you that you're the most adorable human on the planet? Because you are. You'd totally win that award. (You can put it on our mantelpiece next to the Tony awards that you're inevitably going to win.)_

 _You always told me how you felt in your letters and even though seven year old Rachel is probably more articulate than me, I thought I'd give it a whirl._

 _I love you, Rachel Berry. Like, really love you. I think I always have. You just make me exceptionally happy, no matter what and I feel like, when you're around, nothing can go wrong. Whenever we're not together, I miss you and I think that's what love is, you know? The fact that we've been best friends our entire lives, spend almost all our time together and are still not bored of each other. You make me laugh like nobody else can and you're just funny. In a weird-but-totally-adorable-and-Rachel-Berry-way. And I love how big your dreams and ambitions are. It inspires me to dream about the future (my own as well as our future as a couple). You inspire me. You're really pretty, too, you know? I know you're shaking your head as you read this, disagreeing with me, but honestly, you're the prettiest girl in the world. I swear, cross my heart and hope to die._

 _I could go on with the reasons why I love you forever (and I will tell you until the day I die), but I bet you're crying right now so I should end this letter here and give you a hug._

 _(How do I end this? Like the end of an essay?)_

 _In conclusion, you're the best girlfriend any guy could dream of and I'm the luckiest person in the entire world to be with you. I'm sorry I ignored your letters as a child – that was a total douche move on my part and I can't apologise enough – you must have felt like I didn't care, but I did. So much. I do. I know I don't deserve you, however, I'm going to try everyday to make this up to you, to make you feel better for those years when I treated you like crap._

 _You're my best friend – always._

 _Love, Finn._

 _xxx_

 **The letter mentioned in c47, sorry it took longer than I expected to post, I've been really busy.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this - let me know in the reviews?**


	64. It's two sugars, right?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"It's two sugars, right? Like Finn?" She asks Carole, sticking her head out of the doorframe. When she sees the older woman nod affirmatively, she pops back into the kitchen to finish off the tea. She returns moments later, two mugs in hand and places them on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She then sits beside Carole.

"Thank you for this," Carole says appreciatively, taking a nibble of one of the biscuits Rachel plated up earlier. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here."

"I was a little curious when you said you wanted to talk to me rather than my dad. Is everything ok?"

"Better than ok, I believe." At Rachel's expression of complete confusion, she expands, "my son tells me you two are dating now." Rachel releases a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as realisation dawns.

"Oh, um, yes," she replies, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Finally." She chuckles at the teenager's face. "You know he's been pining after you for years, don't you?"

"I'm not sure pining is the right word."

"I am. He's been like a lost puppy following you around."

"I can assure you that the feeling was very much mutual."

"Really?" Carole seems shocked. "Why did it take you so long to get together then?"

"Sorry? Rachel chokes on her biscuit, pretty sure her cheeks are now enflamed in a fiery red.

"What took you so long?"

"I-. We-. Um. We- we didn't want to ruin our friendship," she stammers.

"That's logical. Very mature for people your age." She pauses. "You've been a good influence on him."

Rachel takes a sip of her tea to hide the smile on her face. "He has been the same to me. I used to be extremely competitive, I'm sure you'll remember, selfish, self-centered, arrogant, even. But Finn has mellowed me out, made me more normal."

Pride blossoms in Carole's chest, impressed by her son's actions and pleased for him that he's in such an affectionate and mutually beneficial relationship; Rachel has improved him, too. The difference in his grades as he's spent more time with the brunette and grown to love her is almost mind-blowing. His belief in himself and his abilities, both intellectually, sports-wise and musically, have increased ten-fold, too, mostly because of Rachel and her unconditional support, Carole thinks. "I want you to know how happy I am for the both of you. It takes some people their entire lives to find somebody they love as much as you and Finn love each other."

"We haven't actually… um, w- we haven't-."

"Said you love each other yet?" Carole finishes, then shrugs. "It's only a matter of time. It's obvious how much you care about each other."

"It is?"

"If only you could see the way you look at my son," Carole says. "It's everything a mother dreams of for their child. _You're_ everything I could have ever wanted for Finn. You two belong together."

Rachel feels moisture building behind her eyes and huffs in annoyance. "I can't believe I'm crying like an idiot."

Carole laughs softly, handing her a tissue. "It's ok." She shuffles closer to the girl she imagines will one day be her daughter and puts an arm around her shoulder. At that moment, they hear the click of the lock and Finn's call out to Rachel.

"In the living room!" She replies, not moving from her position. Having never had a mother herself, she finds the gentle touch of the older woman comforting. She doesn't really want to move.

She senses his wide grin before she sees it as he enters the Berry lounge and finds his two favourite people in the world. "What's going on here?"

"We were just talking about you, _Finny_ ," Carole says teasingly, bringing out his childhood nickname just to see his ears redden in front of his new girlfriend. "Showed Rachel some baby pictures, didn't I?" She winks conspiringly at Rachel.

Finn's gaze moves to his girlfriend and softens as he takes in her appearance. Her face is make-up free, showing off her natural beauty, her hair is up in a messy bun and she's wearing leggings with a simple oversized jumper. He adores her like this, natural and homely.

"'Fraid so, _Finny_ ," she says, going along with Carole and interrupting his reverie. He sighs as they high five each other, realising they're going to be ganging up on him now for the rest of his life. It's a compromise he's willing to make though for the joy Rachel brings into his world.

He spies the half-empty mugs in front of them then and frowns. "Hey, where's mine?"

"Do you want me to make you one?" Rachel asks, sharing an amused glance with Carole. She stands, anticipating what his response will be.

"Yes, please. Remember, I take-."

"Two sugars, I know," she answers for him, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek as she passes him.

A smile widens on Carole's face, feeling overwhelmingly happy for her son. Later, she does actually share some baby pictures with Rachel and they both thoroughly enjoy laughing at his expense. She's glad that her precious baby boy has found somebody like Rachel.

 **I just wanted to apologise for the long wait for this chapter - I've had it pre-written for a while but I didn't have access to my laptop so I couldn't post it! So sorry about that! Also, because I've been unable to post, there is at least one Christmas chapter coming up that was supposed to go up this week... So we'll just extend the festive period a little longer! ;)**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and it was worth the wait! Review? :)**


	65. I'll help you study

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee also, I don't speak Spanish so if I have completely butchered the language, I apologise profusely. (Translations are at the end.)**

They're sitting side-by-side in Spanish class when Mr. Schue places a stack of papers on his desk, the loud thud attracting the attention of all his students who had been participating in their own conversations. Finn and Rachel look up as their teacher begins to talk. "Remember that test you took last week? Well, it was awful, to be quite honest with you." Finn winces, knowing his favourite teacher is talking about him and shrinks down in his chair, embarrassed. "It seems like none of you even tried with the amount of simple mistakes in there. So, we'll be taking another test tomorrow and I expect every single person in this room to pass with flying colours. Got it?" They all nod as he picks up the top layer of papers and starts handing them out amongst the class, his expression showing his obvious disappointment. He appears in front of Rachel's desk and his face brightens. "Trabajo fantástico," he says and she grins, reading the large 'A+' scrawled on the front of her test.

"Gracias," she replies, proudly showing Finn her grade.

"The only one to get above a 'C'."

"Wow, really? That's amazing, Rach, well done!" Finn high fives her because their teacher is stood _right there_ and he can't sneak a kiss. Finally Mr. Schue moves on to the desk next to theirs, his face once again falling as he sees yet another one of his students fail. Finn presses a quick, chaste kiss to Rachel's lips and whispers, "I'm so proud to be your boyfriend right now, my little genius."

She smiles sweetly at him, folding their hands together beneath the table. Their conversation returns to Glee, what duet they should sing for the lesson this week, when their teacher rudely interrupts.

"No Glee for you this week, Finn."

His eyes widen in surprise. "What?"

"Glee is an extra-curricular activity," Mr. Schue explains. "And if you can't perform in your normal lessons, it's policy to suspend you from Glee and football, I'm afraid."

" _What?_ We have a huge game this week, Mr. Schue and I-."

"You're the star quarterback who can't let his team down. I know. Perhaps you should have thought of that before you flopped in this test. I mean, it was really, really bad."

"Mr Schue!" Rachel says, coming to her boyfriend's defence. "You're being unfair to him and very rude. Also, we need our co-captain to prepare for sectionals-."

"Finn is not to attend Glee or football until he passes this test. End of," he finishes tersely, frustrated with the two of them. "Maybe Finn would benefit from spending less time obsessing over you, Rachel, and focusing more on his school work."

Rachel's mouth falls open, surprised by his angry words and annoyed tone that he never, _ever_ uses towards them. She glances at Finn whose jaw is clenched, his irritation radiating off him. She places a comforting hand on his shoulder, circling her palm against the material of his letterman jacket in an attempt to calm him down. "You ok, Finn?"

"No," he snaps, throwing his books into his bag when the bell rings and Mr. Schue dismisses them, but not without a reminder about tomorrows test. She's a way behind him when she leaves the classroom, him having stormed off the second he was able to. She catches up to him when he stops at his locker.

"I'll help you study."

"What?" He says gruffly, looking down at her eager expression, her hands clasped in front of her as she tries to suppress her excitement.

"Tonight, come over to mine, we can study together and I'll help you ace this test."

"I appreciate it, but-."

"No buts," she tells him, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. "I'll see you tonight. Six o'clock."

He turns around, watching her tiny figure walk down the corridor and sighs. Exchanging his Spanish books for his sports gear, he thinks that it's going to be a long day.

When six o'clock comes and goes and Finn has still not arrived, Rachel phones him, wanting to know where the hell her boyfriend is.

"I'm busy, Rachel," he answers, his anger having not yet worn off.

"No, you're not. You're playing video games, I've already checked with Carole. Get your butt over here now, Mr." She hangs up, throws her phone down on the bed and waits for her boyfriend to arrive, which he does ten minutes later. She knows by the way he slams his car door shut and doesn't say hello to her fathers as he enters her house, instead coming straight up to her room, that's he's incredibly irked.

"You look very unimpressed with me," she notices, taking in his grim face.

"That's because I am," he responds hotly. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Fine." She ignores his irate attitude, just this once, because she believes it is _somewhat_ justified, however, if he carries on treating her like crap, she will put him in his place. She heads over to the study area she's set up in the corner of her bedroom and he follows reluctantly, his hands in his pockets. They sit down and Rachel begins to run through what the test is about, the key words he is likely to need and then she asks him to form a sentence in the present tense, since that's what Mr. Schue is really examining them on.

"What?"

"You know, present tense. I am, you are, she is, we are… You get the idea. Go."

"Tú eres muy hermosa," he says eventually, stumbling over his words.

A smile slowly creeps onto her face. "Finn…"

"What? It's true." She sees the tension leave him as he grins in return, his extremely handsome half-smile making her heart jump in her chest. "Te amo más que nada en el mundo."

"Te quiero con todo mi corazón," she replies.

"Quiero estar contigo para siempre."

"Yo también," she says, kissing him. When she pulls away he's smirking and she shakes her head, shoving a pile of papers in his direction. "Do not think being sweet to me will let you off the hook, Finn Hudson. You need to do this test tomorrow and do well. I've prepared some practise questions for you."

He groans, slamming his palm against his face and she giggles, handing him a pen and watching as he struggles his way through the test. They go through it together afterwards, correcting his mistakes, Rachel slowly and clearly explaining why he got each answer wrong until he understands. After a long studying session, they have dinner with Hiram and Leroy and Rachel tells him to go home, get an early night and he'll be amazing in the Spanish test tomorrow. He doesn't quite believe her but he hugs her goodbye and goes to sleep as soon as he gets home.

Mr. Schue meets him at his locker a few days later, a huge smile on his face. He's holding up Finn's test, a 'B' written on the front. Finn grabs it from him, disbelieving, flicking through the sheets and seeing all the red ticks. He glances up at his teacher. "I did it?"

"You did it, Finn! I couldn't wait until tomorrow's lesson to tell you!" He says proudly. "And because of your dramatic improvement, I've talked to Principal Figgins and he has agreed to let you return to Glee and football, effective immediately, so long as you don't let your grades slip again."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He embraces his teacher, his father-figure, tightly.

"Now go tell Rachel," the older man encourages. "I know she's the one who helped you."

Finn chuckles, beyond happy, as he heads off to find his girlfriend and tell her the great news.

 **Trabajo fantástico = fantastic work/effort**

 **Gracias = thank you**

 **Tú eres muy hermosa = you are very beautiful**

 **Te amo más que nada en el mundo = I love you more than anything in the world**

 **Te quiero con todo mi corazón = I love you with all my heart**

 **Quiero estar contigo para siempre = I want to be with you forever**

 **Yo también = so do i/me too**


	66. Stay over

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine blah blah blah**

 **Thanks for all of your lovely reviews for the previous chapter, I really appreciate them! :)**

Finn takes a sip of his sparkling cider, watching his girlfriend over the rim of his glass. She looks beautiful. She always does, of course, but there's something about her that looks particularly beautiful, glowing.

"What is it, Finn?" She asks, catching his stare. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No, no. It's just pretty, is all."

"Huh?"

He lets out a short laugh. "Your face. It's pretty. I like it."

"Well… I'm glad," she says. "I like your face, too."

"Thanks." He grins. "How did you like the food?"

She glances down at the empty plate, confident it speaks for itself. Every Friday night, Carole and Burt go out for date night so Rachel comes over and he and his girlfriend try out a new food place each week. Sometimes they visit the restaurant or sometimes they just order take-out and lounge around in Finn's basement watching a movie. It's a fun tradition and it allows them to experiment with a wide variety of foods. This week, he ordered pizza from their favourite pizza place, however, it's a new vegan menu.

"I take that as a yes?"

"Yes, it was great. Thanks, Finn."

His mouth quirks up at the edges. "You're welcome. Hey, are you staying over tonight?"

Her face falls and she squirms a little, the topic making her uncomfortable. They still haven't slept together because, well, she's not ready and they want it to be special for both of them. If she does have a sleepover, she always stays in Kurt's bedroom, but with the house to themselves, the insinuation that she'd share a bed with Finn is frightening.

"Nothing has to happen," he adds quickly. "I don't want to pressure you, you know that."

"I know, I know." She takes his hand and he squeezes her fingers a little. It makes her smile. She knows he loves her, he tells her all the time, and they've been a couple for a long time now, friends for even longer. She knows he would never force her to do something she doesn't want to do. He's a teenage boy, though, and if they end up in the same bed and nothing happens, she doesn't want him to feel disappointed. "My father's are expecting me home."

"You can call them. Come on, Rach. Stay over," he pleads, pulling out the puppy dog eyes.

She laughs softly, caressing his cheek. "I love you but that is not going to work on me."

"Damn. Is there anything I can do to convince you?"

"I don't want to leave you," she tells him. "I hate when our time together comes to an end. I'm just… I'm not ready for _that_ yet."

" _That_ doesn't have to happen. I want to sleep with my girlfriend in my arms and wake up and eat pancakes with maple syrup together and-."

"It sounds wonderful, Finn." She kisses him. "I should be getting home. My father's will be worrying."

He sighs a little, sad that she's leaving so early. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," she says, pressing another kiss to his lips and then collecting her belongings, leaving his house and climbing into her car. He stands at the door waving her goodbye, a crestfallen expression on his face.

When she gets home, an awful, guilty feeling spreads throughout her chest. He'd had an innocent sleepover planned and she'd freaked out, ditching him straight away. She sends him an apology text in a huge paragraph (she is not somebody who can express her feelings in a short, snappy manner) and he starts typing back almost immediately.

 _I'm not mad at you, Rach,_ she reads. _If you're not ready for sex, you're not ready. I'm not going to push you. While it would have been great if you stayed over, I completely understand why you didn't. Don't worry about it, I had an amazing night with my gorgeous girlfriend and that's all I care about._ She smiles as he tacks on a happy emoji at the end of his words.

 _You're sure?_

 _Yes! Your happiness and comfort is the most important thing, babe._

 _You're the best_ , she shoots back.

 _I have been told_.

She can imagine him smirking as she absorbs his words and shakes her head a little, replying, _by whom?_

 _Hmm. Many people. This super attractive brunette singer that I'm really into tells me quite often._

 _Oh, really?_

 _Yep, although I think she's much better than I am._

She doesn't reply, but clutches the phone to her chest as her eyes slip shut, feeling significantly better about the situation than she did earlier. She likes that he respects her enough to wait for her and she loves how much he cares about her. He just makes her ridiculously happy and she hopes one day, once she feels comfortable, she can show him how much he means to her.

 **Ehh, not sure about this one. Let me know what you think!**


	67. I did the dishes

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee ain't mine.**

He lowers the final glass into the soapy water, cleaning any remnants of food off with the sponge. Once sufficiently clean, he places it along with the other plates, bowls, pans, mugs, and glasses on the drying rack. He then does the same with the cutlery until every dish has been washed. He dries his hands and picks up the tea towel, beginning to dry off a plate. He doesn't know how much later, but he's nearly finished drying when he hears the door open and shut, the familiar click of Rachel's heels against the wood informing him of his wife's return home.

"Finn," she calls, removing her bag, coat and shoes from her person. "Babe?"

"In the kitchen!"

She follows his instruction, stalling in the doorframe when she sees him standing at the sink, a tea towel and bowl in hand. "What are you doing?"

"The dishes," he says, stating the obvious.

She rolls her eyes at him. "I can see that. But why?"

"I wanted to help you out," he explains, putting the now-dry bowl in its cupboard and picking up another still-soapy one. He runs it under cool water to remove the excess bubbles, then smooths the towel over the outside and inside. He continues this process as he talks. "You've been so busy this week, whereas I haven't. I figured assisting you with the housework is the least I can do."

"You've done more?"

"I stripped and washed out bedding, then re-made it with clean sheets. I finished all our ironing, swept the floors, cleaned all the surfaces and I did the dishes, obviously."

"Wow, Finn," she says, smiling at her husband proudly. "I have to say, I'm extremely impressed."

"Good. Now you should go relax, put your feet up, I can handle dinner. Is spaghetti bolognaise alright?"

"It's perfect." She walks to his side, reaches up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to his cheek, before leaving for the sofa. He grins to himself, loving when he can surprise her. He finishes drying the last knives, forks and spoons, putting them away and then boiling the kettle. He gets out two mugs, dropping a teabag in Rachel's and the coffee granules in his. Once boiled, he pours the hot water into both mugs and takes them into his wife, returning to the kitchen to prepare for their evening meal.

He places the spaghetti into a pan of boiling water and sets it to a low heat, tipping the bolognaise sauce he made earlier into a separate pan and putting it on a similarly low heat setting. He then leaves the food and talks to his wife about her day for around five minutes, until the alarm beeps and he checks on the pans. He stirs the simmering food in each pan and gives it another couple of minutes until it appears ready. He does a little taste-test and it is seemingly perfect.

The pasta is equally served into two separate bowls, with a good helping of sauce added on top. He then takes it into Rachel, who is curled up on the sofa. Not wanting to make her move too much, he nudges her to sit up, taking the seat beside her and hands over the bowl of spaghetti.

"This smells incredible," she says, twisting her fork in the pasta, then lifting it to her mouth. "Mmm. Tastes incredible, too."

"Thank you," he mumbles in response, his mouth full of pasta. They eat in silence for a while, which is broken by Rachel's loud, musical laughter when Finn attempts to twirl the spaghetti like she had, but the strands end up hanging out of his mouth, still tangled up with the pasta in the bowl.

"You eat that like a child," she giggles.

"I do not!"

"You do, Finny. I hope our children don't pick up your habits."

"Our fictional children will be perfect, whether they can eat spaghetti properly like their mother or not," he replies, not at all phased by her introducing their future offspring to the conversation. They actually talk about it a lot, both of them making offhand comments about their family and the number of children they want, although they haven't yet actually sat down with the purposes of discussing numbers and when they want to start. They both want big families, though, maybe because their own are so small and they want to surround themselves with lots and lots of love, happiness and children. Finn also thinks it's because little Rachels would be adorable and he wants as many as possible running around the house. "Besides, I was really sweet today, doing all the chores for you, you should be grateful if our children are the same."

"You were very sweet," she admits, her lips upturning as she looks at him, this huge dork who can barely eat pasta without getting it all over himself, but who is her entire world. They both finish their food and he takes the dishes out into the kitchen. They'll likely argue over who's doing them, since he cleaned them earlier and Rachel will think it's only fair that it's her turn, but Finn will protest to no end. That's for later, though, as he re-joins her in the living room, where she's now lying down, her eyes drifting closed. He lifts up her feet and sits in their previous position, placing them in his lap, removing her socks and beginning a foot rub that he can see visibly calms her down, the last ounce of stress from her day dissipating at her husband's ministrations.

"You're the best," she murmurs, her eyes remaining closed as she practically melts into the sofa at his touch.

"I know," he says, kissing her forehead once slumber fully engulfs her. Gently, quietly, he gets up from the sofa, heads into the kitchen and does the dishes, so Rachel doesn't have to. He likes spoiling her in whatever way he can and anyway, she looks so cute and peaceful in her sleep, he doesn't have the heart to wake her up and ask her to help him.

 **Review? :)**


	68. You didn't have to ask

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee, also I upped the rating to a T, just to be safe.**

 **This is something quite different from the other chapters, I hope you like it...**

 _Her eyes flutter open, her hands automatically reaching out for him but finding only crumpled bedsheets. She glances around their modern, stylish bedroom in search of him, but he is nowhere to be seen. She thinks he's probably cooking breakfast so she takes a moment to admire their new bedroom, the sleek white walls and the floor to ceiling windows offering incredible views of the city that create a light, airy space. They have a large bookcase to her right, filled with her favourite romance novels and her autobiography documenting her rise to fame which had been published that spring. Several white chairs sit in the corner of their bedroom and they often sit there with drinks, day or night, and look out over Central Park, the beautiful leafy environment that captured her heart from the moment she set foot in it. She pulls back the covers and steps out of their king-sized bed, the most comfortable place she's ever slept. It has a memory foam mattress that molds to your sleeping position and it's perfection. She yawns, stretching her arms out and walks towards the window._

 _"This is a nice view," her favourite voice comments, entering the room and appreciating her very naked form._

 _She turns her head in his direction, a smirk slipping onto her face. "I'm glad you think so."_

 _His bare feet pad towards her, his gaze predatory. "A very,_ _ **very**_ _nice view."_

 _They're only centimetres apart now. She closes the gap, her arms snaking around his chest. She tugs at the back of his shirt, lifting it above his head. Although he looks extremely attractive in his plaid shirts, she much prefers him without them. She runs her hands down his muscular skin, enjoying the feeling of the skin-on-skin contact as their bodies press together. There's something intimate about it, revealing, a metaphor for their shared life with no secrets between them._

 _"Kiss me," he says huskily, his hazel eyes boring into her chocolate ones._

 _The corners of her mouth lift the slightest amount. "Hmm. What's in it for me?"_

 _He growls. "You know what, minx."_

 _Her smile grows as she raises her heels from the wooden floor, her height raising an inch or two so she is closer to his lips. She can feel his warm breath on her, but she doesn't move, taunting, teasing._

 _"Kiss me," he repeats, his eyes closing in expectancy. When he doesn't receive the desired result, his eyes pop open to see her watching him with one brow raised. "Well?"_

 _"You kiss me," she whispers, her lips hitting his, eliciting a moan from him as he dips down, conceding. His lips take hers passionately, her tongue exploring his mouth, their two bodies melting against each other. Her hands trace his sculpted back, his hands clenching in her hair. The kiss lasts minutes, neither wanting to release contact. Eventually they have to and he pulls away, delighting in her mussed hair and thoroughly-kissed lips. "I'm hungry."_

 _"For me?" He asks jokingly._

 _She slaps his chest lightly, shooting him a mock glare. "Can we eat?"_

 _"There's breakfast and coffee on the table. You didn't have to ask."_

 _Her eyes light up as she hurries into their ultra-contemporary living area, the kitchen and lounge combined in one large, open space. She sees the spread laid out on their table and sits down, tucking in to the selection of bacon, eggs and mushrooms. He joins her moments later, his clothes back on. She furrows her brow. "What are you wearing?"_

 _He looks down at his attire. "Um. Clothes."_

 _"I see that." She rolls her eyes. "I preferred you in what you were wearing before."_

 _A smug smile appears on his face as he strips off his shirt and sits on the chair opposite hers, indulging in the sight of her as well as the much-needed black coffee. She lightly runs her foot up and down his leg, smiling flirtatiously at him as she observes the effect she has. (Hint: it pretty much renders him speechless.) He takes a bite of his food, surprised when she leans over and steals some from his plate._

 _"I hope you don't mind, yours just looked so much... hotter," she says, biting her lower lip._

 _His mouth falls open. God, she looks_ _ **so**_ _good. Forgoing the food, he stands and lifts her out from the chair, his arms scooping her up and holding her to his chest._

 _She strokes his muscles, grinning, and presses a kiss to the expanse of skin before he places her down on their white leather sofa. She lays out as he lowers himself on top of h-._

"Rach?" Kurt says, interrupting her reverie as he shoves a cardboard box into her arms, the weight surprising her as she nearly drops it to the floor. Finn swoops in, taking it from her and carrying it to their new bedroom with ease. Rachel follows him into the box room at the end of the corridor, her face flush with what she was thinking about.

"I can't believe we live together now," he remarks as he begins unpacking the box filled with Rachel's books.

"Me either." She plays with the hem of her jumper as she looks around the room. It looks as if a bomb had exploded, with all their belongings scattered everywhere and the wallpaper peeling in multiple locations. It's not perfect, sure, but it's their own place. "Finn..."

He turns around at the strange tone to her voice, raising his brow as if to say "continue".

"Do you think we will live in a nicer apartment one day? One of those ones that overlook Central Park?"

"When you're a two-time Tony winner and I'm the quarterback for the Jets, I'm sure we will," he replies, smiling at her. "What brought this on?"

"Nothing. I was just curious if you'd move there with me."

He scoffs. "Rach, that's your dream. Of course I will. You didn't have to ask. Plus, you're you. I'd move to Timbuktu if that's what you wanted."

Her eyes widen as if that's news to her, that he'd follow her across the globe to wherever she wanted to go. "Really?"

"Absolutely," he promises. "Now, here, help me unpack. I want to be finished by dinner so we can order our first New York pizza in our apartment."

 **A reviewer requested a fic about Finn and Rachel moving in together months and months and months ago (I think back in July, oops)! I don't know if you'll be reading this, but if you are, I hope you like it and thanks for the inspiration!**

 **Review?**


	69. I bought you a ticket

**[DISCLAIMER] I think you get the idea by now - I don't own Glee, any of the Christmas films mentioned, Beyonce Perfume or the Bengals.**

 **Hopefully January the 4th isn't too late to post a Christmas fic. I would have re-written it but I really liked this idea and couldn't think of anything else to replace it.**

It's Christmas morning and Finn has been up for several hours, too excited to sleep, and waiting for his usually early-rising one year old to wake up so they can open presents. It reaches seven am but still nothing and he is tempted to start crashing pots and pans, but Rachel shoots him a stern glare, ruling that plan out of the book. He sighs and buries his face in his pillow. Every other day of her life, Ava Carole Hudson has woken him up at ridiculous hours of the morning, yet today, on the only day where it's acceptable to wake up at four am, she decides to have a lie in. Typical. He's already planning the schooling his daughter will receive, determined to make her love Christmas as much as he does. He's deep into organising his "get Ava to love the holidays" movie selection – Elf, the Santa Clause trilogy, Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas with the Kranks – when he hears a cry through the baby monitor and jumps out of bed. He points at Rachel who groans and gets out of bed, too, quickly smoothing the covers as Finn enters Ava's nursery.

She's making them some coffee and Ava some milk as her husband re-joins her, their little girl in his arms dressed as a tiny elf, hat, pointed shoes and all. Her chubby cheeks and ridiculously adorable smile melt Rachel's heart and she steals her from Finn, leaving him to finish the drinks. She sits on the floor in front of the tree, Ava in her lap, as they wait for their favourite guy. He sits in front of them a few minutes later, an eager expression on his face.

"Yes, Finn, you can go first," she says, knowing exactly what he's thinking, rolling her eyes as her husband dives for the largest box under the tree. He tears away the red paper decorated with white reindeer and gasps as it reveals an electronic drum kit. (He hadn't been able to bring his old drum kit with him to New York and their landlord won't let him have one. But they will allow an electric one, where the volume can be turned right down.) He moves on to the next gift, taking a present from Rachel's pile.

She accepts it from him. "Did you even check who that was from?" She asks, feeling as though she's dealing with an excited child on Christmas, not her adult husband.

"Oh." He leans over and reads the discarded label. "Mom and Burt. Cool. Your turn."

Rachel opens her first gift to reveal her favourite Beyoncé perfume from her parents. Then it's Ava's go to open one and they both help her out, Finn grinning ear to ear as their daughter rips the paper. It's a toy walker thing (Finn doesn't know how to describe it) as she's beginning to stand up and is _so close_ to taking her first wobbly steps, they think this might help her with the process.

Finn searches under the tree while Rachel unboxes Ava's present, wanting to open one from his wife. He finds a small, flat one and is into it straight away. All he finds is a blank envelope with nothing inside it except for a date. "What's this?"

"I bought you a ticket," she explains, albeit vaguely.

"To what?" He questions, giving his wife a curious look.

"The rest of the presents are clues. You'll have to guess."

They continue to unwrap in turns; Rachel opening a beautiful necklace from Finn, Ava receiving a huge selection of "Hummel Approved" clothing from Kurt, Finn a tiger stuffed toy, a map of Ohio and a football. His real present is beginning to dawn on him, though he doesn't want to get his hopes up. Rachel hands him a soft present that feels like clothes, although the package looks too small to be his size. He tears away the festive paper, finding a small, orange and black kit for Ava, with "Hudson" emblazoned on the back.

"Rach?"

"I know how the Bengals were your favourite team as a kid, so I bought you tickets. You, Ava and I will be going to watch them play next week. Surprise!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!" She laughs loudly as he practically tackles her to the floor (after making sure Ava is safely out of the way). He's lying on top of her peppering kisses over her face, her hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Ava joins in, kissing Rachel, too, and the smile that overwhelms her face as her two loves cherish her in kisses is the best thing.

"I can't believe this," he says, tugging her back up into a sitting position. "This is great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

For the rest of the day, he showers her with love and appreciation, proudly announcing to everyone he meets that his wife has bought him Bengals tickets and that, "she's the most amazing human to ever exist." Kurt tries to disagree, claiming that he is pretty fantastic, but Finn has nothing to say. He knows his wife is the best.

 **Review?**


	70. You're warm

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee is not mine.**

She shivers as she waits at the Subway station, wrapping her coat tighter around her body, although it does nothing to stave off the cold. Her face is buried in her warmest scarf and her hands covered in mittens that are stuffed in her pockets, yet she still finds herself freezing in Manhattan's early-January weather.

And if she wasn't cold enough from her twenty minute walk to the station, she'd just missed the train, watching pathetically as it sped off without her.

Her phone rings and, disgruntled, she is forced to remove her woollen mittens to pick it up. "Hello?"

" _Hi, Rach_ ," comes her husband's overly cheerful voice. " _Where are you_?"

"Waiting for the train."

He senses her annoyed tone and asks, " _are you ok there, babe?_ "

"Cold," she states. She can feel herself shaking and she moves around a little, stamping her boot-clad feet in an attempt to generate body warmth, but it doesn't work. "Train is here," she sighs, relieved; her fingers were turning numb. "See you in a few." With that she hangs up and boards the Subway, along with the surge of the crowd.

She hates taking the Subway at peak times because it's always so busy and she ends up without a seat and squashed between two people (usually the ones who decided not to take a shower that morning). It does help her warm up a little, though, the densely packed Subway, as it travels towards their apartment. When she disembarks and leaves the station, returning to street level, snow drops are beginning to fall, dusting her cheeks with icy flakes. She bundles up once again as she makes the short walk to their apartment building, takes the four flights of stairs required to reach their floor and enters, the warm, cozy feeling of home enveloping her.

"There you are!" Finn greets, approaching her as she removes her many layers. "Hey, Rudolph," he teases, kissing her reddened nose.

"Shut up." She elbows him in the chest and he chuckles. "I'm cold."

"I know, you said." He procures a box from behind his back that's filled with lots of goodies. "I've got a hot water bottle, leggings, my hoodie that you love, fluffy socks, with a hot chocolate and marshmallows waiting for you next to our bed."

She could cry.

"You're the best."

"I know," he grins. "Come on, let's get you to bed and back to a comfortable temperature."

She follows him towards their bedroom, a happy smile on her face. Her husband is honestly the sweetest, most thoughtful person she knows. She gets changed into the relaxing outfit he'd selected for her and climbs into bed, wrapping the covers around her with the hot water bottle heating up her numb toes. She sips the tea, letting out a contented sigh as the heat flows through her. She already feels better and cuddles into Finn, her head resting on his chest.

"You're warm," she murmurs, snuggling herself closer to him, leaving almost no gap between their bodies. "It's nice."

"You're nice," he says, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "Feeling better?"

"Definitely. Thank you, Finn."

"You're very welcome, babe. It's the least I can do."

Rachel doesn't reply, her eyes sliding shut as Finn soothes her to sleep, the heat emanating from his body finally warming her up. She's no longer cold, but clings onto him for the rest of the evening. She hopes he knows she never wants to let go, never wants to move.

 **I can't believe how many reviews this story has gotten - it's seriously incredible, I did not expect this response at all so thank you so so so much! Since it's so close to 200 reviews, I figured I'd do something special! The 200th reviewer gets to leave a prompt which I will fill! (I have a couple of open chapters but I've lost the card where I wrote it down - I'll find it and PM the 200th reviewer!)**

 **What are your thoughts on this chapter? :)**


	71. No reason

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee, Playstation, or the games mentioned below.**

It's late when he arrives back at the apartment, his face clearly showing signs of his exhaustion. He just wants to collapse on his bed and sleep, however, when he opens the door to their bedroom, it's clear his girlfriend has other ideas.

She's moved the TV from the living room into their room and is setting up what looks like a new games console. He gives her a curious look and she just grins in response.

"Surprise!"

"Rach... What? I don't-. I don't understand."

"I know you've been eying up the new Playstation for some time, so I bought it you," she explains.

"That's great," he says, approaching the device. He strokes a hand across the brand new console that even still has it's plastic wrap on it. "Why?"

She shrugs. "No reason."

"There has to be a reason. This is expensive."

"I just wanted to spoil you."

He doesn't say anything - can't say anything. He's blown away that she would actually do something like this for him, spend so much of her hard-earned cash on him. He reaches forward and hugs her tightly as if his life depended on it - on her - which, in a way, it does. He honestly doesn't know what he would do without the tiny brunette who literally fills his life with so much glee. He marvels as she fits perfectly into his body, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He strokes her back gently, lovingly, adoring this perfect, perfect woman of his.

She pulls back, a wide, irreplaceable smile on her face. "I take it you like the present?"

"Likeit? Rach, I love it. It's _incredible_. _You're_ incredible."

"Not as much as you," she replies, her hand reaching up to caress his cheek, his adorable dimples peeking out at her. "Want to play?" She feels his cheeks rise as his smile widens.

"Really?"

"Of course," she says. "I brought you Fallout 4 and one of the Call of Duties, I don't know."

"You shouldn't have."

"You're worth it," she insists. "Now, I did my research and Call of Duty seems extremely popular, although it appears to be quite violent."

"The more violent, the better the videogame," he tells her, inserting the disk into the Playstation. The game loads as they sit on the bed and he gives her a brief introduction to the controls. She decides to watch him first, it is his gift after all, and then she'll have a turn. He looks like an excited child on Christmas day as he starts playing and she delights in his happiness. That's all she wants - for him to be happy. She adores the way his whole face lightens and his shoulders relax, the tension of the day leaving him.

She'll do anything to make that precious half smile on his face, those dimples, his sparkling eyes appear.

Seeing the mirthful grin on his face is one hundred and ten percent her favourite thing in the world.

 **Review?**


	72. I'll meet you halfway

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee.**

Rachel tugs her satchel higher up on her shoulder as she and Kurt exit their class side-by-side. They'd just had a lecture from a casting director and the information they'd garnered will be extremely useful. She'd told them how to break into the competitive industry, what songs to sing at auditions, what not to sing, ("please, _God_ , no more Defying Gravity. If I here that song in an audition one more time...") and how to act, ("be positive, be different, but be yourself. Personality is one of the main things I look for in a performer"). It had been an enlightening session. She'd even offered each and every one of them an audition for a background role in her latest play.

"We should go to that music store around the corner from the apartment," Kurt says, linking his arm with Rachel's as they cross the busy Manhattan street.

"Ooh, good idea! I'm considering doing My Man. It's one of the lesser-done numbers from Funny Girl, my voice sounds outstanding when I sing it and the emotional meaning of the lyrics will help me show personality!"

Kurt nods enthusiastically. "That'd be great, Rach. You'll kill this audition."

She smiles at her best friend's words and offers him a mint from her pocket in thanks. He accepts it eagerly and pops it in his mouth. "What will you do?"

"Oh, I don't know," he says, sucking the mint. "I'll have to think about it."

* * *

The day of the audition arrives and Rachel is nervous as _hell_. Finn decides to skip his classes to comfort her, thinking that is a perfectly reasonable excuse for not going to class. His wife might be getting a role on Broadway today, for goodness sake.

Their bed is empty when she opens her eyes, Finn nowhere to be seen. She slips from underneath the covers and wraps her robe around herself, making her way into the kitchen. She spies her husband (looking especially attractive if she does say so herself) as he leans against the breakfast bar, a mug of coffee in his hand.

"Morning, babe," he says, grinning at her. "How you feeling?"

"Determined," she responds, waltzing over to his side. She wraps her arms around his waist and leans into him.

"Hey, I made you some green tea, it will be good for your voice." He slides her favourite mug over. It has a picture of them printed on it after their wedding ceremony and it's her favourite picture in the world. She traces Finn's china dimple, before lifting the mug into her hands, the warmth feeling nice against her skin.

"Thank you," she murmurs, taking a sip. She glances over at Kurt and Blaine on the other end of the bar, a open book of sheet music lying in front of them. His audition piece still a mystery to her, she moves closer, asking, "what are you doing then? You haven't told me."

"Oh. Um. Nothing." He shuts the book quickly before she can read it, hiding it behind his back. "I want to keep it a secret."

That's weird. She shares a look of confusion with Finn, but shrugs. It's probably just nerves. She returns to her husband's arms, her head resting in the crook of the neck, basking in the calm before the storm.

* * *

She wrings her hands together as she stands in one of the wings, watching apprehensively as her best friend walks out onto the stage in front of three real Broadway casting directors. Her palms are sweaty as she hears him announce, "my name is Kurt Hummel and I'm here today to audition for the role of villager one."

"Great," one of them says. "What is it that you will be singing today?"

Kurt shoots a brief glance in Rachel's direction, then his eyes return to his main audience. He speaks slowly and clearly, but Rachel's not positive she's heard him properly. He can't... Surely not... He wouldn't...

" _Oh my man I love him so_ ," Kurt sings a few seconds after the familiar music starts. Her eyebrows draw together. He has. He's stolen her song! She can't believe him, can't believe he'd screw her over like this. She'd been shocked when he volunteered to audition first, but now Rachel understands. He wanted it to look like _she_ was copying _him_ , when in reality it's the other way round. She panics, tears welling in her eyes. She has no song to sing. She can't go out there and use this song, they'd cross her off the list immediately. She racks her brain, running through the entirety of her musical repertoire. Her mind goes blank. She can't think. She can't think. She can't think.

"What am I going to do?" She whispers to herself as Kurt finishes his song and the three casting directors stand up, applauding him loudly. Blood is rushing through Rachel's ears as he disappears to the other side of the stage, an obvious spring in his step. She's next.

" _Rachel Hudson_?"

* * *

Her audition finished, she marches past her _ex_ -best friend, her chin lifted high, steadfastly ignoring him. She takes out her phone, shooting her husband a text that she needs to meet him urgently.

 _The apartment?_ He replies almost instantly.

 _Won't work._ Their apartment was over half an hour away from the theatre.

 _I'll meet you halfway,_ he types back, adding two kisses to the end.

* * *

"Rachel?" He calls, spotting her on the other side of the street. He looks both left and right, sees it's clear, and runs across to her, his eyes wide, panicked, his fear worsening when he nears her and sees the tear-tracks down her cheeks. His heart breaks in two as she clutches desperately onto him. "What's wrong, babe? What happened?"

"I didn't get the part," she whispers brokenly, lifting her head from his shoulder. He sees her smudged mascara and wipes it away with the pad of his thumb. "Kurt did."

"I'm sorry, Rach," he says sadly. She'd wanted the part so much and she'd rehearsed the song to perfection, he's unsure why they wouldn't have cast her. She would have been amazing. "What happened?"

"Your brother stole my song."

He furrows his brow, not understanding. "I dont-. Kurt? What?"

"I told him I was singing My Man. When he elected himself to audition first, I never thought anything of it, but then the music started playing." She lets out a half-laugh-half-sob. "I can't believe him."

Finn shakes his head. He thought they'd grown up, that Kurt had gotten over his ridiculously competitive stage. "I can't believe it either. I'm going to kill him."

"No, _Finn_ -."

"He can't just do that to you and get away with it," he argues, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"Oh, hey, Kurt," Finn says, walking into their lounge, Rachel hiding behind his back. She tries to tug him back by his hand, but he ignores her, squeezing her hand in a comforting motion. "How'd your audition go?"

"I got the part," Kurt replies. Blaine is smiling delightedly next to him, immensely proud of his boyfriend. Kurt looks thoughtful, his mouth tight and firm.

"Mmm. Are they allowed to give the role to cheats?"

Blaine tenses, his need to protect Kurt kicking in. "Don't talk to him like that."

"But that's what he is. Right, Kurt?"

" _Finn_ ," the brunette hisses, humiliated. "Let's just go out for dinner."

" _No._ It's not fair, Rachel! You can't let him treat you like that, you had enough of it at high school. He's my brother, but you're _my wife_ and it's my job to protect you."

"What the hell are you talking about, Finn?" Blaine asks, his head swivelling between his three roommates, all avoiding each other's gaze. "What's going on?"

Finn glares at his brother. "You want to tell him or should I?"

"Fine, fine, I cheated! I stole Rachel's song!" He holds up his hands, his cheeks red. "I feel awful about it. I don't even want the part anymore."

"You did, _what_? Kurt, oh my God! Why would you do something like that?"

"I wasn't thinking," he says, getting off the sofa. "I need some air."

Blaine makes to follow him, but Rachel, standing in the doorway, places her arm in front of him. "I'll do it." She hurries after her brother-in-law, finding him sat on a bench about a block away from their apartment. "Hey," she greets, smiling cautiously at him.

"Hi."

"Are you...ok?"

He looks at her incredulously. "Surely it should be me asking that question, not the other way around." He puts his head in his hands. "I'm such an idiot."

"Hey, no, you're not," she tells him, sitting in the empty spot on the bench. She drops an arm around his shoulders and rests her head against his. She sighs. "Today has been crazy."

"Very."

"Can you believe we were on a real Broadway stage? And we didn't have to break in this time?"

Kurt laughs despite everything, a smile breaking out onto his face. "It was amazing, wasn't it? Did you see the dressing rooms?" He fans himself, making Rachel giggle.

"It was incredible. That's going to be us one day, Kurt. In those dressing rooms."

"You'd be willing to work with me after today?" He asks, his tone surprised.

"Of course! You're extremely talented!" She exclaims. "We're going to be the next Idina and Kristen, Hummel."

"Yes, we are, Berry."

"Hudson," she corrects instinctively, happiness blossoming in her chest.

"You're taking his name?"

"While Berry does have a certain _je ne sais quoi,_ I love him and I'm proud of our marriage. I want to be able to show it off to the world. I was going to keep Berry as my stage name, however, the way he acted today... Protected me..."

"I get it." Kurt smiles sweetly. "You know, I didn't think you two would work out when I found out you'd got married so young-."

"Yes, you made that very clear."

"You're a great couple, though," he finishes. "Truly. I'm honestly kind of, uh... Jealous."

" _You're_ jealous of _me_?"

He nods, his face colouring in shame.

"You have a wonderful life, Rachel. You have, Finn, you're married, you know exactly what you want to do with your life, you're beautiful, you're extremely talented. I lashed out today. I wanted some of what you have, I just neglected to think about how hard you've had to work for everything you have."

"It did take Finn and I too long time to come to our senses."

"I don't just mean that," he says. "You put in more rehearsal hours than anybody I've ever known."

"You can practise more. We could do it together!"

"I don't think my passion lies in singing," he thinks aloud. He wrings his hands together in an anxious motion. "I think I want to go into fashion."

"Really? That's amazing! You'd be so good at that and you could design my Tony gown!"

He shakes his head in amusement. "You think I'd be good enough?"

"Think?" She scoffs. "I know!"

His mouth lifts in a smile. "Thanks, Rachel."

"I'm still mad at you," she reminds him. "I will be for a little while. I'm glad you're going to live your dream though."

"Me, too."

"I'll tell Finn to lay off you."

"Hey, thanks." His smile stretches wider. "I understand you're still pissed at me, but do you think I could have a hug?"

"Of course, Kurt," she responds, embracing him tightly.

 **What do you think? :)**


	73. Take mine

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee.**

Here's how it starts:

"Lets go, Hudsons!" Finn yells up the stairs, his family _still_ getting ready. His daughters really take after Rachel, choosing to sleep in, shower for what feels like years and leisurely dress themselves, do their hair and apply make-up. He often tells them they have to be somewhere an hour earlier than they actually have to, just to get the girls out of the house.

"We're coming, we're coming," his wife says, descending the stairs, Ava and Abby behind her. "We had a eyeliner crisis."

He raises a questioning eyebrow.

"Ava couldn't get her cateye flick right, we had to redo it like four times. It's really difficult, you know, trying to get each one to look perfect and then having to match it to the other eye."

He hums in agreement, even though he has no idea what a "cat-eye flick" is.

"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you, babe?" She asks, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling slyly up at him.

"Honestly," he kisses her lips, "I have," he kisses her cheek, "no clue," he finishes by kissing her perfect nose. "Still love you, though. Even if it does take you ten hours to get ready."

She slaps his chest lightly. "It does not take me ten hours, Finn Hudson."

"You wanna bet?"

"Absolutely," she replies, folding her arms in front of her. "I'm going to win, though."

"Yeah, right," he scoffs. "In your dreams."

"Oh, you're on, Mr. Hudson."

"Bring it, Mrs. Hudson."

Their kids exchange looks of disgust mixed with a little bit of amusement at their parents.

Every time they go out for the next week, the time Rachel takes to get ready decreases and decreases (his daughter's continue to take their time, though, so he's still waiting around for hours). She's getting super competitive about the whole situation, timing herself on her phone, fully preparing her outfit the night before so she can just throw it on once she's showered. She even starts wearing less make-up just to save time, which Finn _loves_. His wife is gorgeous all the time, of course, but he adores her natural face, free of all that make-up crap. She doesn't need it. She's never needed it. He's glad she's accepting her naturally beautiful skin now and he hopes his daughters will stop with the dog-eye or whatever it was and start showing off their genuine beauty.

It does mean, however, that Rachel becomes the most forgetful she's ever been, leaving behind her hairbrush, pyjamas (not that he objected to her sleeping naked) and phone when they stayed with family for the weekend.

It leads to the situation she's in now. She rushed getting ready, showering and dressing before Finn had even woken up. They're in the park together, just the two of them, when the wind begins to strengthen, cool air blowing through the trees. His wife is _always_ cold. If they eat dinner outside in the summer, she'll still lay a blanket over her lap, when the rest of them are in short-sleeved shirts and shorts. He feels her body shiver as the wind whips past them, her (his) plaid shirt not providing much warmth.

"I think I may have forgotten my jacket," she says sheepishly, bundling herself closer to him.

"Take mine," he replies.

"Finn, no-."

"Let me be a gentleman, Rach." He unzips the thick, fur-lined hoodie, tugging it off himself. He holds it out for his wife, who sticks her arms into the sleeves and wraps the excess (and there is a lot of it) material around herself. She practically drowns in the hoodie, but he thinks she looks adorable and snaps a picture to upload to Facebook with the caption: _wife is stealing my clothes AGAIN. "_ Better?"

"Much." She presses her lips against his in thanks. "You're the best."

"That I am." He kisses her chastely, his arm sliding around her waist. "Cold now, though."

She gives him a disapproving look as if to say "you shouldn't have given it me" and he responds with a look that insists "you're keeping it whether you like it or not." The silent argument continues until they see Bow Bridge and his wife ditches him, running onto her favourite place in the city. It carries a lot of meaning for them. It's where they came after they got married and it's where she told him she was pregnant with Chris. Plus, the lake is truly stunning.

He admires her as she leans against the bridge, her hair blowing in the wind. It looks like an artistic shot; the beautiful woman with the backdrop of the perfect park scenery. He captures the moment without her knowledge, pockets his phone and joins her. He stands behind her, his arms coming round her waist.

"What are you doing, Finn?" She giggles as he rests his head in the crook of his neck.

"Cold. Need snuggles."

"I'd give you my jacket if I had it," she tells him, turning around in his arms so she's facing him and her back is pressed up against the bridge.

"Ooh, your pink one?" He intones, smirking. "I'd look so pretty in that. What a shame."

She caresses his cheek lovingly. "You look pretty anyway."

He grins. "Thanks, Rach. You do, too."

"Oh, I know," she says smugly, prompting him to tickle her. She laughs loudly as she squirms under his touch. They attract the attention of passers-by who smile at the cute couple, but they're in a world of their own. Rachel consumed by the dimple in Finn's cheek and Finn entranced by the way his wife's eyes sparkle in delight as he continues to tickle her, not letting up.

 **Can you get this story to 200 reviews? I'd love you all forever (I do anyway)**


	74. We can share

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"I'd like you all to meet Brice Gervais Forestier," Will says, walking into the choir room, an attractive, dark-haired boy their age trailing behind him. All the girls - and Kurt - immediately sit up, interested, while their significant others, feeling cast aside, try to puff up their chests. It doesn't work. The girls aren't even looking in their direction, all eyes fixed on the handsome stranger. "He's French and will be with us until the end of the year, so be welcoming."

"I can be _very_ welcoming," Santana flirts, despite the fact her girlfriend is sitting right next to her.

"Yeah, not you, Santana. I was thinking someone more like Rachel, who is the co-captain after all, could mentor him, guide him around."

"Yes! I'll do it!" She practically shouts, jumping out of her chair. "That's absolutely fine with me!"

Puck chuckles under his breath, nudging his best friend in the ribs, who's eyes have become very wide throughout this sequence. "Join them, Hudson. Make sure this French dude doesn't try to pull anything with your girlfriend."

"Or that your girlfriend doesn't try anything on him," Kurt chimes in. Finn shoots him a sharp glare. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. It's not my fault he's hot."

"Guys? Are you volunteering to help too?" Mr. Schue asks, noticing the discussion taking place at the back of the choir room.

"Yes, Mr. Schue. Huds is," Puck says, pushing his friend forwards.

Finn walks up to Rachel and Brice, greeting the new student with, "Bonjourno."

Rachel giggles, bringing her hand to her face. "Um, Finn, babe, that's Italian. It's _bonjour_."

" _Salut_ is also acceptable," Brice says in accented English. "However, I would prefer to speak in your native language. I am here to practise after all."

"Awesome." He claps the guy on the back, perhaps a little more forceful than necessary, but whatever. He needs to get his point across early. "Should we go now, Mr. Schue?"

"Yeah, sure. You two have already completed this week's lesson, so go ahead."

"This is the football field," Finn tells Brice as they approach the giant expanse of green. "Do you have football in France?"

"Yes, but I believe you call it soccer."

Finn scrunches up his face. "You like that game?"

"Don't be rude!" Rachel admonishes. She turns to the exchange student, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about him."

"It's actually the most popular sport in the world," Brice says. "It's amazing to watch. Perhaps we could watch _mon équipe, Paris St. Germain_ sometime. I bet you'd love it."

"No, thanks."

"What about you, Rachel?"

She melts at the way he pronounces her name and nods eagerly.

" _Fantastique_! It's a - what do you call it in America? - a date!"

Finn shoves his hands in his jean pockets, not liking this exchange at all. He screws up his face as he watches his girlfriend flutter her eyelashes at this guy, feeling a little sick. He catches them staring at each other for way too long and clears his throat. "Where do you want to see next?"

"We could get some food," Brice suggests, winking at the brunette. "Where's the best restaurant in this town? I need to know where to take Rachel after watching _le foot_."

Finn is really beginning to dislike this guy. Puck and Kurt were right. He's totally hitting on _Finn's_ girlfriend! He has to put a stop to this.

"Breadstix is the most frequented date location, although I'm sure the food is not quite the standard you'd have in France."

"I am here for the full _Americain_ experience, so let's go! _Allons y!"_

They take Finn's truck and Rachel decides to sit in the back with _Brice_ rather than him. His ire grows as he watches them in the mirror and catches the Frenchmen's hand sneak onto Rachel's bare knee. He clears his throat roughly, startling them. Brice pulls his hand away.

When they arrive at Breadstix, Rachel is the first to take a seat, sliding into the corner of the booth. Brice follows, sitting by her side. Finn freezes, shooting him a glare. Who the hell does he think he is? What, does he think just because he's got a cute accent and good looks he can just steal his girlfriend away from him? Not if Finn has anything to do with it.

"Aren't you going to take a seat, sir?" The waitress asks him. He frowns and takes the seat opposite Rachel and Brice. They look like the couple, he looks like the awkward third wheel. He _hates_ this.

"We have a special lovers menu for this evening," she says, handing Rachel and Brice a tablet.

Finn's frown deepens. "Actually, we're the couple, _not him_."

Brice's head pops up. "I didn't realise you two were dating. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable," Rachel explains. " _Quelquefois les gens se sentent incomfortables avec les couples qui sont amoureux. Nos amis font._ "

" _Bien fait,_ " he compliments her language. " _Je comprends. Vous êtes un beau couple. Je suis vraiment heureux pour vous._ I will back off _,"_ he finishes in English, mostly for Finn's benefit who looks completely lost, his head looking between the two of them like a spectator at a tennis match.

Finn smiles and Rachel says, " _merci_." Finn is about to retract his prior assumptions about the exchange student, figuring his actions were just because he didn't know they were dating, when the French singer slings his arm around Rachel's shoulder. Finn's eyes darken, his smile falling.

The food arrives and he is unable to say anything about it. He realises he needs to stake his claim in a more obvious way, let this jerk know he doesn't like the way he's touching his girlfriend.

"Mmm, Finn, that spaghetti looks good," she says, admiring his plate, wishing she'd ordered it for herself.

He nudges the plate of pasta forwards. "We can share."

She forks some into her mouth, Finn doing the same and they end up having a Lady in the Tramp moment. Finn will argue vehemently that it was an accident, but who is he kidding? It was totally intentional.

He raises an eyebrow at Rachel, sucking more spaghetti into his mouth, bringing them closer together. Eventually their lips meet and Finn kisses her soundly, mainly because he loves kissing her, but also partly to rub it in that guy Brice's face.

"That looks fun," he comments. "Can I try?"

"With Rachel?"

"No, silly. With you."

His eyes widen. "W-w-what?"

"What Finn said," Rachel backs him up, her expression startled.

"I'm gay," Brice says bluntly, his eyes flicking between the two of them. "Did you not know? I tried to be subtle about it, but Rachel, your boyfriend is so hot, I've been distracted by him all day."

"You have?" Over his initial surprise, Finn smirks. He's hot.

" _Absolutement_ ," he replies. "So can I kiss you?"

"No!" Rachel cries, a burst of jealous rage shooting through her. "No, you cannot. He's _my_ boyfriend."

Oh how the tables have turned, Finn thinks.

"It is only fun," Brice argues, winking at Finn, who chuckles softly at Rachel's horrified expression.

"I'm sure it would be awesome," Finn says, patting the dude on the hand. "But I'm in love with Rachel. So."

" _Zut alors_ ," Brice curses. Feeling awkward, he rapidly finishes his meal and tells Rachel, " _tu es extrêmement chanceux._ "

"What's that mean?" Finn asks once Brice has said goodbye and left.

Rachel smiles softly. "He said I'm extremely lucky. I agree with him."

He smiles back at her. "I feel the same way, Rach."

 **Most of the French here is pretty simple and similar to the English so I'll just list the less obvious words/sentences for you here:**

 **Mon équipe - my team.**

 **Allons y - let's go (I did put this right next to the English, but just in case you didn't get it!)**

 **Quelquefois les gens se sentent incomfortables avec les couples qui sont amoureux. Nos amis font - sometimes people feel uncomfortable with couples who are in love. Our friends do.**

 **Bien fait - well done.**

 **Je comprends. Vous êtes un beau couple. Je suis vraiment heureux pour vous - I understand. You are a beautiful couple. I am really happy for you.**

 **Zut alors - aw shucks/damn/shoot, that kinda thing.**

 **Tu es extrêmement chanceux - you are extremely lucky.**

 **Review? :)**


	75. I was just thinking about you

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

 **I watch a lot of sports and I think it's really sweet when wives/girlfriends/children come on the pitch after they win a trophy or something. So I decided to do a Finchel version...**

He glances up at the scoreboard to see they're still tied 21-21.

They only have a few more seconds remaining as the ball drops in front of him. He immediately picks it up, cradling it in his arms and sprinting the length of the pitch, only one thing on his mind. He senses the opposition chasing him, sees a player running towards him in his periphery, simply weaving in and out of the players as they attempt to tackle him. His clutch on the ball tightens. Blood pounds in his ears as he nears the line, his legs working as fast as they can. He finally gets there and the stadium erupts with cheers and chants of "Hudson! Hudson! Hudson!"

They've done it. They've won. They've won the Superbowl thanks to _him_.

His teammates run over, jumping on top of him, everybody running onto the pitch from the sidelines. It's crazy. He can't breathe. Has he seriously just run the Superbowl?

He pulls off his helmet, searching desperately for his wife in the sea of green. A smile overwhelms his face as he locates her, jumping up and down, cheering wildly for his team, for him. She's dressed in an oversized green jersey, her hair pulled off her face in a pony to reveal her painted face. His smile widens. She is _so_ cute. He can feel his teammates clapping him on the back, hollering words of congratulations and thanks, but he doesn't hear them, his focus fixed on his wife. She's with other families as they are all guided to the pitch. His anticipation levels are through the roof as she nears him, closing the distance between them. He engulfs her tiny frame in his large one, her head burying itself in his shoulder. He sways her, his hands stroking the entirety of her back.

"I was just thinking about you," he says, his finger lifting her chin so she's looking at him. "When you ran over. I was thinking about how lucky I am to have such a perfect wife."

She bites her lower lip to stop a wide grin escaping. "Really?"

"Yep. You look ridiculously adorable right now, Rach."

She loses the battle without much resistance, happiness spreading across her face. "You look pretty fantastic yourself, Mr. Hudson." Her eyes darken as she gazes up at him. "This football uniform... The pants..."

He has to force himself to suppress his groan, knowing his teammates that surround him would never let him live it down if they overheard. He coughs. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she responds slyly, aware of the effect her words have on him. "But, Finn, _you just won the Superbowl_!"

"I did, didn't I?" His eyes sparkle as his hold on her tightens.

"You led the Jets to our first victory since 1968!"

He raises an eyebrow. " _Our_?" She hates football.

"Yes, _our_. I can't not support the team my amazing, talented, Superbowl champion husband plays for!"

"But you hate sport?"

She giggles softly, her perfectly manicured hand (with nails painted in an alternating green and white pattern) coming to rest on his cheek. "Not when you're playing, honey."

He crinkles his nose.

"Stop." She squeezes his nose with her fingers. "I know you love it when I call you "honey" really, _honey_."

"I can assure you I do not," he replies. "I'm too happy about winning _the freakin' Superbowl_ though, so you get a pass just for today."

"That's very generous of you."

"It is, isn't it? I am an extremely generous person."

She pokes him in the chest, then returns to her previous position, her hand lightly stroking the stubble on his cheeks. "You can go off people, you know."

Finn laughs loudly. "Sorry, Rach, but you're way too in love with me for that to happen."

He watches as her expression tightens. He can practically hear her brain whirring as she desperately tries to think of a retort, but comes up empty. After a while, she concedes. "You're right."

"As usual," he smirks. "No more talking." He crashes his lips against hers, her arms stretching around his neck. She clings on tightly to him as they kiss and kiss and kiss, refusing to separate. They can both hear his teammates wolf-whistling around them, but they don't care, content to just kiss each other and forget the rest of the world exists. He sighs deeply when Rachel pulls away. He wishes he could press his lips against hers for the rest of his life. She's beaming up at him, that excited 100 watt beam he first fell in love with all those years ago. He remembers when he'd win football matches at high school and Rachel would always be in the stands, supporting him, cheering him on. Who would have thought he'd be here, now, married to the woman of his dreams, a father, a Superbowl winner? He certainly didn't.

"I'm so proud of you," Rachel says as she plays with the hair at the back of his neck. Her smile is dazzling, adoring, as she stares up at him and he has to swallow the lump that forms in his throat. Rachel would have thought it possible, her belief in his dreams constantly surpassing his.

"I'm proud of me, too," he admits, kissing her again.

They are torn apart by a photographer that wants to take a picture of the couple. Rachel adjusts herself, so one arm is wrapped around his waist and she's leaning into him, his large hand coming to rest on her shoulder. They both smile widely, although that isn't hard to do. He's so far beyond happy, he can't describe the emotion; the day coming only second to the day he married Rachel and the days his kids were born. He doesn't think he'll ever stop smiling, ever.

He is dragged aside by a swarm of journalists after that and he reluctantly separates from his wife, knowing he has to fulfil these duties. They ask him how he feels and he answers honestly: " _incredible_." His gaze lingers on Rachel as she collects Ava and Chris from the sidelines, lifting the small boy into her arms and taking Ava's hand. When his children see him, however, his wife stands no chance at controlling them, his oldest breaking away from her mother and darting towards him. He kneels and opens his arms wide as she falls against him. He closes his arms around her, rising back onto his feet, his daughter holding onto him tightly. The cameras in front of him click incessantly and while he would normally throw them to the ground, hating when the paparazzi try to take pictures of his family, he allows it just this once. Ava, always her mothers daughter, waves at the press, looking like a member of the royal family. He laughs and kisses her forehead.

When he doesn't think he could get any happier, his wife whispers the news that she's pregnant in his ear during the celebration party with the team.

He practically radiates with an overpowering sense of joy and pride for the rest of the evening.

 **Review? :)**


	76. I want you to have this

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee, I just really, really, really love Finchel. But who doesn't?**

When she arrives at the Hudson-Hummel household, her parents in tow, she is immediately greeted by Finn opening the front door, a sombre expression on his face. She rushes forward, throwing her arms around his neck, holding on to him tightly. His embrace is just as tight, his hands tangling in her long, brown hair. They stay like that for several minutes, clutching on to each other for dear life, eventually pulling apart when Hiram pats Finn on the back.

"I'm sorry, son," he says sadly.

"Thank you, Hiram," he replies. The older man can see his eyes are red from crying and his face blotchy. He's never seen his daughter's boyfriend this vulnerable before and he hates that he can't do anything for the young man he has come to adore. He figures the only person who can help Finn is the tiny brunette currently staring at him as though he hung the stars. "Shall we go in, Rach?"

"Ok." He drapes his arm around her back, his hand coming to rest on her waist. She places her hand over his in a comforting gesture and they enter the house filled with mourning relatives, Finn and Rachel not separating for a moment.

"Want a drink?"

"Sure," she responds, taking the champagne flute he hands her.

"It was my nanna's favourite," he explains, grief warring in his expression.

"Ah, well, she has good taste." Rachel spies Carole on the other side of the room and tugs Finn towards her. Once the older woman has finished her conversation with a relative, Rachel reaches forward to hug her. "I'm sorry for your loss, Carole. If there's anything I can do…"

"Just being here is helping," she says, kissing Rachel's forehead in a motherly gesture. "Especially Finn. The worry lines on his face have already disappeared since you arrived."

She doesn't say anything, just looks up at her boyfriend. She hates seeing him so sad, so inconsolable. Rachel knows how much he adored his nanna, he talked about her all the time, and after a long battle with dementia and countless other illnesses, he's heartbroken that he's lost her. Finn's hold on her tightens as their eyes fix on the others.

They turn around when they hear "Finn" and somebody taps him on the back. It turns out to be his aunt and uncle, but he refuses to let go of Rachel. In fact, he physically can't. If he lets go of her, he feels like he might break down, fall to the floor in sobs and not be able to get up again. She's like his anchor. He needs her.

"Who's this?" His aunt asks curiously, seeing the young woman attached to her nephew.

"This is my girlfriend, Rachel," he introduces, pride seeping into his tone. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Very," she says, smiling sweetly at Rachel, whose cheeks have pinked considerably. "How long have you been together?"

"Three years." Finn grins at the two words. They've been the best years of his life, that's for sure, and he wants to spend as many more with this special girl as he can.

"That's impressive for a couple your age," his uncle comments.

"Yeah, well, some people might think we're too young to settle down, but if you knew Rach… She's the best."

"Such a charmer, isn't he? Just like his dad," his aunt says to Rachel, making him squeeze his eyes shut. He can't think about his dad, not now. It's too painful. He'll start sobbing and he really doesn't want to cause a scene.

"He really is." He opens his eyes on Rachel's face, sees the love shining through her expression and feels his heart lightening. "If you'll excuse us…" He looks curious as she takes his hand and walks up the stairs into his bedroom, needing to talk about his emotions in private. "You ok?"

He shakes his head.

"That reminder of your dad really hurt, huh?"

He nods.

"Finn… Please say something. I can't help you if you won't let me, if you won't even talk to me."

"I miss him," he croaks eventually, his face uncertain, not used to expressing his emotions (particularly of sadness) in this way. "I wish I'd had the chance to know him. I wish he'd had the chance to know you. My mom always says you two would have adored each other."

Rachel smiles, wishing she could have met Christopher Hudson, too. The man sounds amazing and heroic, like an older version of Finn. Carole tells her that Chris was exactly like Finn is now, from appearance to personality, even to their sense of humour.

"Oh, I forgot. I have something for you," he says, practically jumping off the bed and picking up a box, with a piece of paper attached, from his desk.

"Finn, what did I say about buying me gifts?"

"This isn't from me. It's from nanna," he explains, returning to his previous position by her side. He presses the box into her hands. "But I want you to have this." He gets up, citing that he needs to greet his family and she needs to do this alone. She nods and kisses him lightly before he leaves, heading downstairs into the throng of funeral-goers.

She takes a deep breath and opens the letter.

 _This is to Finn's girlfriend/partner/wife for when I die. I want this to be passed down to the love of his life and then down to their daughter, keeping on the Hudson family tradition that has been going for generations_.

Then, at the bottom, two scribbled words, added on at a later date, take her breath away:

 _Hi, Rachel._

She shakes her head, amazed. She'd met his nanna quite a lot of times at family barbeques and such when they were children but had only seen her a few times since she and Finn started dating. Yet, the woman still knew that Rachel and Finn would be together and by the looks of the faded ink, the words were written a long time ago.

She places the paper down then opens the box, her eyes watering as she sees the beautiful, ornate ring sitting there. The silver is twisted around the band and entwines at the centre, forming a circle where a ruby sits. The fact that it's been passed through generations makes the antique even more special to Rachel and she immediately slides it onto her finger. When Finn sees it, he kisses the band, incredibly touched that she's already wearing it. He loves that she now has a family heirloom, it's like they'll be together all the time, even when they're not.

He likes that as the funeral takes place and he watches his nanna disappear behind the curtain, he can feel her ring pressing against his skin as he and Rachel hold hands. It grounds him, prevents him from completely breaking down during the ceremony. Rachel prevents him from breaking down, her support unwavering.

It's a difficult time, but with Rachel by his side, he survives, his perfect gold star's love getting him through.

 **What do you think? Leave a review! :)**


	77. Call me if you need anything

**[DISCLAIMER] You've guessed it.. I don't own Glee!**

"Have you got underwear?" His wife asks, waddling into their bedroom, the large washing basket in her hands. He looks up from the clothes he's packing into his suitcase, his mouth falling open. "What?"

"Rach, you can't carry that! It's too heavy!" He drops the shirt he's holding and hurries over to her, stealing the washing basket from her hold. He places it on the bed and returns to his wife, placing his hands against her baby bump and grinning when he feels their child kick.

"I'll be fine," she says, her tone irritated. This is her first pregnancy and the closer she's gotten to her due date, the more protective he's become (and he was bad enough before she was even showing). "Have you got underwear?"

"Yep." He folds up his shirt, then another. He's going to Philadelphia for a few days for a charity thing. It's a good cause, he knows, and any other time he would have loved to help out… but his wife is about to have his baby. His first baby, no less. And he's going to be around two hours away. The thought makes him feel a little nauseous, to be honest. He wants to be with Rachel. He needs to be with Rachel. However, he's contractually obliged to spend the weekend in Philly and there's nothing he can do about it (he's tried).

"Toothbrush?"

He lifts up his clear wash bag, the blue toothbrush inside.

"Have you got enough clothes because-."

"Last time I spilt sauce on my pants and I had to go out and buy a new pair," he finishes, chuckling softly. "I remember. And yes, I have enough clothes. I even brought spares. You proud of me?"

"Very," she replies, grinning. "Looks like Baby is, too!"

A handsome smile slips onto his face as he zips his suitcase. "I'm ready."

"You sure?" She sticks out her lower lip, wishing they could delay the goodbye for as long as possible. It's not like she'll be alone; Finn had insisted Carole and Burt "babysit" her while he's gone, her in-laws waiting in the living room, giving the couple some privacy. It's just not the same without him.

"I'm certain," he clarifies, taking a step closer to her. She closes the gap and within milliseconds, his arms are around her and their lips are pressed together. They stay like that for who knows how long, neither wanting to separate from each other. An interruption arrives in the form of Carole Hudson.

"Your car is here, Finn," she tells him, delighting in the adorable show of love between his son and daughter-in-law as they savour their final moments together.

"Right. Thanks, mom. Can you-."

"Of course," she replies instinctively, not needing to hear the question before leaving them to it.

"You'll be ok, won't you?" He asks cautiously, his eyes flicking between her face and the large protrusion beneath her shirt that contains their child. "I could still get out of this if I need to. Just say the word."

She shakes her head no. "I want you to do this, Finn. Baby and I will be fine, I promise. She'll still be in here when you get home, nice and comfortable."

He looks uneasy but kisses her for the final time, lifting his suitcase off the bed and into the foyer where Carole and Burt are waiting. Rachel follows him out, her eyes glassing over. "Call me if you need anything, Rach. Even if it's like 3am. I'll pick up."

She nods, waving goodbye as he exits their home. Carole hugs her tightly as Burt locks the door and they decide to watch some feel good rom coms to make her feel better. About half way through one of Carole's personal favourites – _Mamma Mia_ – Rachel feels a gushing sensation. Shocked, she looks down.

"Your water's broken!" Carole exclaims excitedly.

"Oh my God," Rachel breathes, her eyes dilating in fear and panic and – _Finn's not here._ "Finn's not here," she repeats, full-fledged anxiety spreading throughout her chest. She can't have this baby without him.

"I'm on it, Rach, don't worry," Burt assures her, holding his cell to his ear. His step-son eventually picks up and Burt hollers, "get your ass back over here, Hudson! Rachel's in labour!"

 **Review? :)**

 **I've scheduled this story so that HOPEFULLY the last chapter ("I love you") will be posted on Valentine's Day, but I'm already running late lol. If all goes to plan though, there is one month remaining of this story - I can't believe it!**


	78. Do you want to come too?

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine blah blah blah**

As Rachel approaches the table in the cafeteria, her lunch tray in her hands, she can overhear the conversation between her best friend and his two friends, Puck and Mike. They all play sports together and Rachel knows they don't really like her (Puck calls her a nerd _all the time_ ), but she likes eating her lunch with Finn and vice versa, so they have to put up with her.

They're talking about some new movie about robots or cars or something, Rachel doesn't know. If it doesn't involve flawless musical routines and/or Barbra Streisand, she's not interested. Intrigued, however, she nears the table and sits beside Finn.

He grins at her, a large bite of his sandwich that he'd just taken causing his cheeks to puff out like a chipmunk's. She giggles, poking the side of his face as she unwraps her own sandwich - consisting of only tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber - and takes a bite. She sees Puck watching her, pulling a face. Her expression disgruntled, she asks snarkily, "what are you looking at, _Noah_?"

(They'd gone to Synagogue together as young children - and still do - and she knows it pisses him off when she calls him Noah, so she uses it whenever she sees him.)

"That... I don't even know what that is," he replies, crinkling his nose. "Can you even call it a sandwich? Where's the meat, Berry?"

"I'm vegan, _Noah_ ," she retorts, to which he simply rolls his eyes. Shaking her head at the mohawked boy's immaturity, she focuses her attention on Finn. "What film were you talking about before?"

" _Transformers_ ," he says, smiling widely. "The three of us are going to see it Saturday night."

Finn, Puck and Mike share high-fives. She looks lost, not understanding the weight of his words.

"What are Transformers?"

Their mouths fall open and are unable to form words for several moments, sharing expressions of surprise mixed with horror.

"Well? Is anybody going to tell me?" She questions, finishing her sandwich and moving on to her orange, peeling the skin and then eating each segment one-by-one.

" _Transformers_ is only going to be the best movie of all time, _ever_ ," Mike declares, finally breaking out of his stupor.

"Second." Finn and Mike turn to Puck in confusion. " _Star Wars: Return of the Jedi_."

Finn nods slowly, conceding the point. Rachel, on the other hand, does not agree at all and determines to make her opinion known.

"Are you kidding me?" She all but screeches. "Barbra Streisand's _Yentl_ is without a doubt the greatest movie ever made, then _Funny Girl_ and _Hello, Dolly_!"

Their eyes all narrow simultaneously, Puck and Mike never having even heard of those films before. Suddenly, realisation dawns on Mike: "is she the chick from _Meet the Fockers_?"

"The supremely talented actress," Rachel corrects immediately. "Yes."

"That film is hilarious!"

"I love it!"

"Can I come to the movie with you?" She inquires, stopping the three boys in their tracks. They survey her, checking if she's being serious, which she appears to be. Deadly so.

"I don't think it's really your kinda film," Puck says first, staring pointedly at his friends, encouraging them to turn her down, too, not wanting to spend any of his weekend with _Rachel the freakin' biggest nerd ever Berry._

 _"_ Me either. You like musicals. This movie will actually be entertaining."

She shoots Mike a dark glare and turns to Finn expectantly. He looks uncertain, his eyes switching between his friends. He sighs. "Let her come, guys."

Rachel cheers, throwing her arms around Finn and hugging him gleefully. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I'll text you the time later," he informs her as she stands up off the bench, needing to rehearse for the school musical. "Bye, Rach."

"Bye, Finn!"

As soon as she's out of earshot, Puck hisses, "why the hell did you invite her, dude?"

"Because she's my best friend. What's the big deal?"

"She's Rachel Berry. You should be dating popular, cool, pretty girls," Puck deadpans, Mike nodding his agreement.

"Rachel is cool," Finn returns, a frown appearing on her face. "And she's very pretty. She may not be popular, but that doesn't make her a bad person. And for the last time, we're _not_ dating."

"Mmm. Sure," Mike murmurs disbelievingly.

(Rachel spends almost the entirity of the film hiding her face in Finn's shoulder and his two friends can't hide their bemused expressions.

Whatever.

She's his best friend and she always will be. He loves spending time with her and doesn't care what they think.)

 **Review? :)**


	79. I'll still be here when you're ready

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

She steps out of the steaming shower, her hand coming into contact with the towel hanging on the railing. She tugs it off and wraps the material around herself, tucking one piece beneath the other just above her breasts. She then grabs one of her old t-shirts that she's pretty sure used to belong to Finn and covers her wet, just washed hair. Stepping in front of the mirror, she picks up the tooth brush and toothpaste, squeezing a pea sized amount of the latter onto the bristles and then sweeping it over her teeth. Two minutes later and now minty fresh, she exits the hotel bathroom to find her husband relaxing on the bed reading something (probably sports related) on his tablet. He glances up when she appears and gawks at the sight of his half-naked, wet wife.

"Out, Finn," she says firmly when he leaps off the bed and bounds towards her. He looks like a heartbroken puppy, making her giggle softly. "It's the first night of our honeymoon. I want to surprise you. So, _out_."

He sighs deeply as she motions towards the door that leads to the rest of their honeymoon suite. He drags his feet as he meanders towards the doorway, turning back around hopefully when he reaches it to see if she's changed her mind.

An eyebrow is raised, a hand on her hip and his shoulders slump as he opens the door, leaving his wife alone to get ready for their date. She shuts the door behind him, ready to begin preparations.

First, she removes her make-up from her bag. She hasn't brought a lot because 1. she doesn't have that much in the first place (she wears so much on stage, she likes to give her skin a rest at home) 2. Finn likes her natural face 3. they're staying at a beach resort in Cabo and she doesn't really feel like caking stuff onto her skin. Tonight, however, is an exception. It's their first proper meal out together on their honeymoon. It's a special occasion, so she decides to wear more than usual.

She starts by lightly blending her foundation into her skin, evening her skin tone and concealing the few blemishes she has at the moment. Then she powders her face to reduce shine and adds a light amount of contouring, blush and highlighter, extenuating her already beautiful features. She pops open the eyeshadow palette Carole had bought her for her last birthday and lightly dusts a shade of taupe over her eyelids, smoking it out into the crease with a darker colour afterwards. She draws a thin line of eyeliner and applies her generous amount of mascara so her lashes are dark and curled. She'll add her lipstick later on.

Next, she moves on to her hair. Releasing her brunette tresses from the now damp t-shirt, she brushes through the tangled mess and dries it off. She pulls out her curling iron and is mid-way through heating it up when she hears Finn's voice holler through the door, "you ready yet, babe?"

"No!" She calls back, rolling her eyes. He always underestimates how long it takes women to get ready. He's able to throw some clothes on and look amazing in minutes.

"How much longer is it going to take?"

"I don't know, twenty minutes," she estimates, laughing softly to herself as she hears his groan of frustration. "It'll be worth the wait, Finny."

"It better had be," he responds, his tone clearly conveying his boredom. "I'll still be here when you're ready, but I'll have aged sixty years."

Her musical laughter carries through the door, making him grin. He loves that sound.

"Stop being dramatic and let me finish," she says, shooing him away with her voice and lifting the burning hot iron to her hair. She twists a small section around the wand, waiting a few seconds before releasing it, a perfectly curled strand of hair falling against her cheek. Satisfied, she moves onto the next piece and the next, until eventually all of her hair has been curled. She adjusts her parting and sets the style with hairspray.

She quickly dresses, slips on her shoes and sweeps her classic red lipstick across her lips. With a final spritz of perfume, she's ready. Picking up her clutch, she opens the door, finding Finn waiting for her, one elbow leaning casually against the wall. He almost falls over as she comes into view, his pupils dilating.

"Wow, Rach... I... Wow."

"Is that all you can say?" She smirks, loving that she can render him speechless. She does a little twirl, showing off her outfit bought especially for this occasion. It's a black lace dress that fits perfectly to her body and finishes above the knee. She's paired it with her favourite black heels and, of course, her Finn necklace, which she still wears from time to time.

"You look incredible, Rach," he says, bringing her closer to him. "I'm so lucky to be married to you."

"I feel the exact same way," she returns, her eyes appreciating his white shirt tucked into a smart pair of pants.

"Let the honeymoon commence!" He announces in a goofy voice, linking their hands together as they leave they hotel room and begin their week of pure bliss.

 **Review?**


	80. Is your seatbelt on?

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

She feels him grab her hand as they approach customs, his fingers squeezing hers firmly. Her eyes dart to his, searching for the problem. In his chocolate brown eyes, she can clearly see his fear, his anxiety. This is his first time flying anywhere and he's nervous, to say the least.

"Finn." She stops him, guiding him to the edge of the concourse to be out of the way of the busy travellers. "What's going on?"

He swallows, his wide eyes glancing at the customs officers, then back to his new wife. "They have guns."

She has to stifle a chuckle to save from laughing at her giant, 6"3' footballer player. "I can see that."

"Big ones."

"It's not like they're going to use them on you," she points out. He still looks terrified. She fixes her stare on him. "You're not smuggling anything, are you? Or using an outdated passport?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then you'll be fine," she promises. She takes out both of their passports, handing Finn his small blue book. "Just follow their instructions, keep calm, it won't be an issue."

He nods slowly as he follows her to the queue forming at security. It moves quite quickly and he doesn't see the officers using the guns on anybody, easing his nerves. They step forward, a female asking them to remove their jackets, watches and electrical items, placing them in a plastic box each. He does so, then watches warily as a conveyor belt glides his personal effects away. Rachel walks through the scanner first, then it's his turn. He glances at the officers warily and they give him a short, sharp nod, as if to say "you're clear to go." He lets out a deep sigh of relief and collects his items.

Rachel pats his shoulder when he arrives at her side. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Terrifying," he admits. "Let's get out of here."

"Want to get some food before the flight?" She asks as they walk away, hand-in-hand.

"I don't think my stomach could take it." Suddenly, he feels a rough hand catch his shoulder and he freezes, spinning around to find a uniformed male, one he recognised from security. He gulps, fear bubbling within him.

"Sir, you forgot your phone," he says after a few moments (that seem like hours to Finn) of silence.

"Oh." _Thank God_ , he adds silently, taking his cell back from the man, who then returns to his post. Rachel is giggling when he joins her.

"You thought you were getting arrested, didn't you?"

"No," he retorts, feigning incredulity.

"You _so_ did, Finny! You should have seen the look on your face. It was pure terror!"

He narrows his eyes at her. "It was _not_."

She simply giggles more.

"Ok, ok. I was a little scared," he confesses, holding up his hands in surrender. "A tiny amount."

She grins. "I knew it!"

"Whatever, Mrs. Hudson. Come on, let's get you some food before I change my mind."

When it's time for them to board the plane, Finn's nerves return, slamming against him like a freight train. Rachel had eased them during the hour or so wait and he thought he had fully relaxed, but nope. Clearly not. They head down the tunnel-y thing, his arm securely wrapped around Rachel.

When they take their seats, he insists Rachel sits by the window, not wanting to see how high they're flying. Plus, on the outside, he kind of feels like her protector. Like he'll let nothing on this flying chunk of metal hurt his wife.

The seatbelt light in front of them flashes and the couple click them into position, Rachel making herself comfortable against his body as much as she possibly can with the seat restrictions. He steadfastly looks ahead as the engine whirrs into motion and the captain announces through the speakers that take-off his imminent.

His hand grasps at the armrest, his knuckles whitening. Without looking at her, he asks, "Is your seatbelt on, Rach?"

"It is."

"You sure?" Both visually and verbally, his anxiety is obvious.

"Definitely," she assures him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "We'll be fine, babe. Just think about our honeymoon, ok? The hotel suite, the beautiful pools, the food, the new bikinis I've bought..."

His mouth lifts into a smile for the first time that day, pride rushing through her. She did it. She managed to relax him! Granted, the bikinis probably played a large part in swaying him, but she thinks she helped, too.

He jumps as the plane takes off, his stomach twisting as the plane lurches into the sky and begins the ascent.

Once everything is settled, he does start to calm down, realising it's not as bad as he first thought. Whenever they encounter a slight bit of turbulence, he repeats: bikinis...bikinis...bikinis... in his mind, desperately excited to see his beautiful, perfect wife in her new swimwear. He's excited for their honeymoon in general, really, a vacation with just him and Rachel. He knows it will be so worth the stress of the plane journey.

 **Please leave a review, they make me so happy. :)**


	81. Sweet dreams

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine. The aftermath of "call me if you need anything" was requested by a couple of people so here ya go...**

"Sweet dreams, Rach," he murmurs in her ear, a smile forming on her face as her eyes slip shut. She snuggles into his chest as the world fades away and she enters the dream world, re-living the perfect, perfect day she'd just experienced.

It had began when Finn left for Philedelphia, and was almost immediately called to come back home once her water had broken. Everything had got a bit chaotic.

" _Breathe, baby,_ " _he reminds her down the phone as his car races down the highway, desperate to get back to her ASAP. He shouldn't really be driving; his head is all over the place and it's probably not the safest idea he's ever had, but he needs to be with his wife. Who's in labour. He thinks he should probably take some deep breaths, too, excitement/panic soaring through him._

 _"I know how to breathe, Finn!" She snaps, her frustration evident. "I am a grown-up woman, not a child!"_

 _Ignoring her burst of anger, he calmly says, "you are giving birth to a baby, though, Rach. My baby."_

 _"I know that, too!" He winces as he hears a wail of pain pierce his eardrum. "It_ _ **hurts**_ _!"_

 _"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, baby, I'll be with you soon!"_

 _"_ _ **Hurry**_ _!" She yells, before cutting off the call._

 _He presses his foot firmer on the pedal, inking out as much speed as he can._

When he'd finally arrived at the hospital, she was mid-contraction and not in the best of moods. She sees Finn's dream-self run into her hospital room, dripping with sweat, just like his real life counterpart had been earlier that day.

" _Rach! Oh my God. Are you ok?"_

 _"Does it look like I'm ok?" She deadpans, then screeches as another wave of searing pain hits her, her eyes scrunching shut. "You stink," she says as he approaches her._

 _"I know, at least I'm here, though, huh?" He takes a step closer to her and she nudges herself to the opposite side of the bed, distancing herself from the smell._

 _"Take a shower."_

 _"I will later."_

 _"Finn,_ _ **now**_ _," she insists. "You're not coming near me or this baby until you're washed and changed. I have some spare clothes for you in my go-bag."_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"Yes." Shooting him a glare, she asks, "do you want to be here when your giant baby is born or not?"_

 _He nods dumbly, grabs the clothes from her bag and stumbles into the adjoined bathroom._

She notes the sound of the shower that switches on and rolls over in her sleep, her back now pressed against Finn's body, his hands instinctively finding her stomach. There's a dull ache there, but she brushes it off, refocusing on her dream as she remembers the agony she'd felt surging through her body.

 _Too many hours later, her baby is finally in her arms, the pain finally gone, and most importantly, Finn is showered. They lie together on her hospital bed now, him squeezed up next to her as much as he can, his long legs hanging over the edge. It's not the most comfortable position. Not that he cares. His attention is solely upon his two girls, the way Rachel cradles their daughter like she'd been doing it her whole life. He's entranced by the minutes old baby's pinked skin, the dark hair that sticks up, the way her eyes are closed as she sleeps contently in her mother's arms. He thinks he could watch them like this forever._

Her dream is interrupted by loud cries. She throws off the covers, slips her feet into the slippers that wait by her bedside and hurries to Ava's crib. Easing the baby into her arms, she can't help the feeling of glee that overwhelms her. Aside from the pain, it had truly been one of the best moments of her life.

 **This is one of those** **chapters I'm not sure about but I didn't have anything else to post... *hides* *pokes head out of hiding place* ... What do you think?**


	82. I was in the neigbourhood

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee ain't mine.**

He's just finishing an order when, out of the periphery of his vision, he spies a petite brunette enter the Starbucks where he works. In order to save up more money, they've both been working jobs outside of football and Broadway; Finn at Starbucks, Rachel in a music store. The money isn't _amazing,_ neither are the hours - they'd much rather spend time together - but the money allowed them to go on their kickass honeymoon they've just returned from, so it's not all bad. Anyway, he hands the mug of coffee to the customer and focuses his eyes on the brunette who is now waiting in a queue about five people long. Her hair has been put up in the bun she wears for dance class, her beautiful eyes are chocolate brown and her outfit of a large, oversized hoodie and leggings are comfortable and casual, but look great on her. The hoodie boasts 'NYU' and looks extremely familiar to him. It was once his, for like a day, until he came home that first night after college and it was pinched by the love of his life, claiming she was "the coldest human in the entire world" and needed it. He'd rolled his eyes and given in, never wearing the hoodie again.

His eyes drift to her smile and the corners of his own mouth lift on one side, forming that half-smirk Rachel always fawns over. Before he gets too engrossed in his stunning wife, he hears, "one large chai tea, please" and he is brought back to the real word.

When they eventually get around to serving Rachel, her smile hasn't dimmed, in fact it only brightens as she steps forward to place her order.

"Hey," he says, leaning one elbow against the counter in what he hopes is a cool, casual position. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugs. "I was in the neighbourhood and I wanted a coffee."

"Ah." He grins. "So it has nothing to do with your super handsome husband?"

"Not at all," she replies, sticking her tongue out at him. "You know my order."

"You got it." He picks up one of the paper cups as he knows she prefers drinking out of them and takes his black marker in his other hand. "And what's your name?"

"Mrs. Hudson."

He chuckles softly as he writes it, loving the sound. It will never get old, no matter how long they're married, he doesn't think. He thinks he'll still be like ninety in a care home gushing over the way "Rachel Hudson" sounds like music to his ears.

"I'm married, but I have to say you look dashing in that uniform," she flirts, quickly checking with a glance to the left that they're aren't any other people waiting to be served that she's holding up.

His eyes sparkle. "You're married? That's a shame. Your husband's a real lucky guy. You're beautiful."

A pink blush blossoms on her cheeks, her smile widening just a little. "Thank you. I'm very fortunate myself. My husband is also extremely attractive."

"Yeah? What's he like?"

"He's a footballer, so his body is wonderful," she starts, leaning on the counter herself, so their faces are only inches apart. "I like his hair. And his eyes... He's a huge goofball, but he's my very hot goofball."

"Your very hot goofball," he smirks. Glancing to the doorway, he sees a young couple, not that different to himself and Rachel when they first started dating and resigns that he'll have to take their order. "I'll bring this to your table in a minute, beautiful."

"I'll be waiting." She walks away, peaking at him over her shoulder to see him take the order and then taking two muffins from the counter, placing them on a plate each and handing them over to the clients. His friend Jack makes the drinks.

Rachel watches as the two - Jack and Finn - make dumb jokes as they work. She's met him before at Finn's birthday party and he seems like a nice guy. He's much more likeable than some of those jocks her husband hangs around with who still, honestly, intimidate the hell out of her. Craning her neck, she sees Jack hand Finn her tea and the latter walking over to join her, drink in hand.

"I didn't know they personally served customers tea like this in Starbucks," she comments as he arrives at her table. "I thought they just called names out at the counter."

"Ah, well, you must be special."

"That must be it." They laugh together as she pops the lid off the cup, allowing some of the heat to escape. "Are you allowed to take a seat?"

With a sweeping glance over the coffee shop, he sees it's calmed down a little. Looking to Jack, his friend gives him a thumbs up as if to say "I've got this" and Finn sits down in the chair opposite his wife.

"Hi."

"Hey. So you were really in the neighbourhood?"

"Yep."

"I'm over half an hour away from your classes and in the complete opposite direction to the apartment. You must have taken quite a detour to be in this neighbourhood," he notes.

Inching herself closer to him, she says, "mmm, worth it though. The baristas in this part of the city are s _o_ charming."

Closing the distance between them, he raises his eyebrows. "Anybody in particularly?"

"Secret." She taps her nose.

He growls.

"Maybe if you give me a kiss, I'll let you in on the secret, but you can't tell anybody. It's just between the two of us."

He presses his lips against hers and she practically melts, just like the first time. After they separate, he whispers, "so? Who is it?"

Grinning, she responds, "Jack."

Finn glowers at her and she lets out a loud, musical laughter. He can't help but smile. He loves her laugh. It's, like, his favourite sound in the world. "Monster."

She lifts a shoulder, her face bright with happiness. "Maybe." Noticing a group that's just come in, she realises he'll have to get back to work. Popping the lid back on her tea, she decides to do some shopping in the area, not wanting to get him fired. She stands up, him following suit. He chastely kisses her, before watching her leave.

He knows she'll never admit it, but she'd missed him. Their schedules had been crazy since returning from their honeymoon with so much to do and they'd barely had time for each other - the real reason for her mid-afternoon visit. He doesn't mind though; he loves spending time with her.

And for the record, he misses her whenever they're apart, too.

 **If you review I'll love you forever.**


	83. Stay there, I'm coming to get you

**[DISCLAIMER] That's right, you guessed it, I don't own Glee!**

Turning the handle towards the off position, she feels the waterfall on her back slow and then stop, stepping out of the shower. She reaches for the towel that hangs on the rail and wraps it around herself. She brushes her teeth, washes her face and is about to leave the bathroom when the door refuses to open. She tugs at the handle as hard as she can, but still, no movement. Cursing under her breath, she feels her heart pump faster in her chest. She's locked in here. Luckily, she spies her phone sitting on the radiator and thanks past-Rachel for having the fore-thought to bring it in with her. She'd originally only used it for music purposes, but it has really come in handy. She grabs her phone and dials Finn's number. He answers on the second ring.

" _Hey, Rach_ ," he says, his smooth tone coming through the phone soothing her anxiety that has surfaced due to her entrapment. " _What's goin' on_?"

"I'm trapped!"

" _ **What**_?" She hears a crash on the other end of the line and the muttered sound of her husband swearing. She wonders what her clumsy giant has done now. " _Where_?"

"In the bathroom," Rachel replies. "Nobody else is home."

" _You ok_?"

"A bit panick-y, but ok. I'm not dead so that's a positive."

He lets out a short chuckle. " _Stay there. I'm coming to get you_."

"Stay there? Finn, I'm _trapped,"_ she deadpans.

" _Right, yeah. Good point_."

She rolls her eyes at his dorkiness.

" _I can feel you rolling your eyes at me right now, babe_."

She shakes her head, constantly amazed at how well he knows her. "Whatever. Get over here STAT."

" _I'll be there as soon as I can_ ," he promises, then cuts off the call, leaving her to sink to the bathroom tiles and wait.

Half an hour later, she hears the slam of the apartment door and Finn's voice calling out for her. Moments later, he's banging against the bathroom door, as if brute force will break it down.

"I know you're strong, Hudson, but you're not that strong. You're gonna have to call the fire department. My phone died before I was able to."

"Ok, babe. You're alright, yeah?"

"Apart from the fact that I just want to get out of here, I am fine," she responds. Stepping closer to the door, she can make out most of Finn's words as he tells the person on the other end of the line that his wife is stuck in the apartment bathroom.

"They'll be here in ten, Rach," he shouts, pocketing his cell.

"I can hear you, you don't need to yell, dork."

" _I'm_ the dork?" He cries, offended. "Who's the one who got themselves stuck in a bathroom?"

"Watch it, Hudson."

He laughs, leaning his back against the door. "What're you doin' in there?"

"I've just been sat around waiting after I got out of the shower." Sudden realisation hits her. " _Finn_!"

His back immediately straightens, fear racing through him. "What? What's wrong?"

"I just got out of the shower," she says, her eyes dilated.

"So?"

"I'm only in my towel, Finn," she stresses. "The firemen are going to see me in just my _towel_."

"I'm sure they won't mind. You're very hot, Rach."

"I mind! I don't want strangers seeing me half-naked!"

"They won't care!"

"You're the one who just said I was very hot. If I'm as hot as you say-."

"You are," he interrupts, forcing a smile onto her otherwise mortified expression.

"Then they _will_ care."

"If they say or try anything, I'll kick their butts. How about that?"

She giggles. "They'd snap you in half, Finny."

"They would not. I'm strong," he retorts.

"Not FDNY strong."

"Low blow, Rach." Clutching at his heart, he wails, "I'm wounded! I'm wounded!"

"Shut up. Hey, are they here?"

He can't hear a thing. "What are you, a bat?"

"Exactly." She smirks as the low sound of the knocking on the door becomes increasingly louder. "You hear it now?"

"Yep. I'll be right back."

Sure enough, he returns two minutes later. She steps backwards as the firefighters try the lock. When they're unsuccessful, they break the door down.

Her grip on the towel tightens as her face flushes. As if it's not embarrassing enough that she got locked in the bathroom and had to call the FDNY, she's only in her towel.

Finn pushes past them, embracing her tightly. "You ok?"

"I'm good," she murmurs, her face buried in one of his broad shoulders. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course, Rach. I'd do anything for you. Now lets get you dressed, you must be freezing!"

 **I had so much homework this week and couldn't focus on this one as much as I wanted to... Idk. I hope it's ok. Leave a review?**


	84. The key is under the mat

**[DISCLAIMER] I wish Finchel belonged to me, but alas, they do not. :(**

They're usually pretty careful when it comes to their more _passionate_ make-out sessions, always ensuring their families are out of the house and will be for some time. However, it's a Thursday night, they'd just got back from Glee club, their minds focused on this week's assignment ( _classic David Bowie songs_ ) and didn't bother to check when Carole would be home from work. She'd caught them that evening making out on the sofa, Finn's hands up Rachel's shirt. All three of them were mortified, Rachel hiding behind Finn's large frame, her entire body flushed with humiliation. Carole looks pretty embarrassed herself, to be honest, when she grounds Finn for a week and informs Rachel she'll be calling Hiram when he gets back from work. She feels her heart sink as she considers her fathers' reactions; they'll no doubt ground her, too.

"I'm under no elusions about what... activities... you get up to. You're teenagers. I understand. But just don't do it where any of us could walk in. Burt could have had a heart attack! I'm sorry, but you two can't see each other outside of school for a whole week."

"Mom, wh-."

"No, Finn," she insists. "My decision is final. Say goodbye to Rachel."

Disappointedly, he kisses the small brunette goodbye (chastely and on the cheek, knowing his mom is watching them disapprovingly). Lingering there, he whispers, "we'll figure something out, Rach."

She squeezes his hand a little, as if to say "ok" and leaves with a shy wave in Carole's direction.

Once the door his shut, Finn turns to face his mom, prepared to argue his point.

"Go do your homework, Finn. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Slumping his shoulders, he disappears into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him for good measure.

* * *

" _The key is under the mat_ ," he says into his cell phone as quietly as he can, sneaking past his mom and Burt's bedroom. Slowly, his sock-clad feet make their way down the flight of stairs, terrified of making any noise. The house is dark, silent, as he heads towards the front door. Everything is so dead, he's able to discern the sound of Rachel turning the lock and inching the door open, peaking her head through the gap. Anxiously, she scans the foyer and stairs behind Finn. The coast is clear. Opening it slightly wider - just enough for her to be able to slip through - she enters the Hudson-Hummel house and is immediately in Finn's arms.

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this," she hisses into his chest.

"I know. I'm such a bad influence on you." Smirking, he guides her to the sofa and curls up behind her, slinging a blanket over their bodies.

Finally in his arms and able to sleep, Rachel's eyes immediately slide shut, falling into a deep sleep to the feel of Finn's hand soothingly stroking the length of the arm.

It doesn't take long for Finn to fall asleep after Rachel, her face deep in slumber the last thing he sees before his world goes dark, the picture of her peaceful expression remaining in his mind as he drifts to sleep.

* * *

Carole pads into the living room the next morning, tying her robe around her waist. Rounding the corner, she sees a lump lying under the blanket. On closer inspection, she realises it's _two lumps_ , one with very familiar long, dark hair. She shakes her head in disbelief, though not anger. She doesn't think she could be mad at them for this. Look at them, they're _adorable_ and Rachel makes her son so happy. She decides to give them a pass, draping an extra blanket over them for warmth and heading into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, a permanent smile etched onto her face.

 **I love your reviews more than chocolate (and I love chocolate A LOT) so keep them coming! ;)**


	85. It doesn't bother me

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"Hey," Rachel says, entering the lounge. Noticing the TV blaring, she asks, "what're you watching?" When he ignores her, she steps closer to him, her brow furrowed. " _Finn_?"

"Huh? What?" He looks up from his phone where he'd been staring intently. "Did you say something?"

"Yes. What are you watching?"

"Oh." His eyes fall back to his phone and his mouth quirks. "Nothing. Well, I was, but I got distracted."

Another step closer. "By what?"

"Baby Hudson," he replies, showing her the ultrasound on his phone.

Her cheeks lift as she sits beside him, her shoulder pressing against his, their thighs touching. He tilts the phone so she can see it too and they both just sit there, engrossed in the image of the child they're both so desperate to meet. They don't speak for a while, Rachel only grinning wider when he zooms in on their baby's face. Or, the blob he thinks is their face. He can't really tell. It's so tiny he doesn't know what's what and at this point, their baby isn't even that developed anyway.

"Do you think they'll have my nose?" Rachel muses, breaking the comfortable silence.

"God, I hope so."

Her eyes flick to his momentarily in surprise, then return to the ultrasound because she can't prise herself away for more than, like, three seconds.

"You do?"

"Yeah, 'course. I love your nose," he tells her honestly. "It would only make our adorable baby extra adorable."

She giggles softly at him, leaning further into his side. "Seriously, though, you wouldn't mind?"

"It doesn't bother me at all. Your nose is beautiful."

She just shakes her head, full of insecurity. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm really not."

" _Finn_ ," she deadpans.

" _Rachel_ ," he says in the same tone. "Stop it. You're gorgeous. You always have been. Your face is special, unique and your nose is part of that. It's essential to making you _you_ and it's perfect. I love it."

"You do?" She checks cautiously, chewing at her lower lip. She's always been confident when it comes to her talent... but she struggles to be anything but insecure when it comes to her appearance. That's what happens when years of high school bullies tear you down in whatever way - and whenever - they can. Despite years of Finn's affirmations of her beauty, she can't help but hate the way she looks. Her nose has always been a particular sore point, the primary source of the teasing. The jokes about the size of her nose were seemingly endless at McKinley.

"It's a sign of your religion, your heritage. It's beautiful, Rachel. You're _beautiful_. I'd love for our baby to look like you, like they're showing off how proud their are of your history."

Too moved to speak, she simply presses a kiss to his lips, her hands stroking the hair at the nape of his neck.

He smiles into the kiss, murmuring, "I love you, Rach."

"I love you too, Finn."

* * *

Sure enough, when they finally meet their baby, Finn's pupils dilate and he shouts, "Rach! She's got your nose! She's got it!"

The nurse chuckles softly to herself at the man's overwhelming excitement as she places the tiny pink bundle in the new mother's arms. As Rachel starts to cry, she leaves the couple to it, giving them some well-deserved privacy.

Staring at her, Rachel gently strokes her finger down the bridge of her daughter's nose. It's like looking in the mirror, only the reflection shows a much smaller, more scrunched up and reddened version of her face, with tufts of her father's dark hair sticking up in all directions. "She's beautiful."

"Very beautiful," Finn agrees, also entranced by his little girl. He glances at Rachel, his mouth turning upwards. "Just like her mommy."

 **I really like this chapter. What do you think?**

 **Also, I can't believe we only have 15 chapters left! :(**


	86. You're important, too

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine. I wrote this in like half an hour and have only just finished it, so any mistakes are mine. Sorry. Had a busy week and just wanted to post something (even if it's crappy).**

She watches closely as Finn's jaw tightens and he clenches his fist, clearly attempting to keep his anger at bay. She's not even paying attention to Mr. Schue as he runs through their setlist for Regionals. She already knows she has a big, powerful solo - she always does - and besides that, she isn't really interested in what else her teacher as to say. Normally, she would be, she loves Glee more than anything, except for Finn, and his apparent bad mood is more important to her than a show choir competition right now.

"Alright - last thing on the agenda for today's session. Who gets the duet," Mr Schue announces, the entire club erupting in excited "whoops" and drumrolls. "This year... I've decided Kurt and Blaine should get the duet! Congrats, guys."

Everybody turns around to face Kurt, with his beaming smile. Everybody, except for Finn. Nobody else notices this, too focused upon congratulating the lead performers, but not Rachel. She's too concerned about Finn. His ire seems to have grown, his face reddening. The bell goes and Finn jumps out of his chair, storming out of the choir room and slamming the door behind him, creating a loud bang.

The rest of glee looks around, sharing confused glances.

Rachel can hear their speculative whispers and after a couple of minutes, deciding she's had enough, follows after Finn.

It takes her a while to find him. She searches the locker room, the hallways, the cafeteria with no luck. It's when she exits the building, heading towards his car that she sees him. Not by his truck, but by the little red Fiat her fathers bought for her birthday. She rushes over to him, slightly out of breath when she reaches his side.

"Hi," she says.

"Hey," he returns, his voice quiet, a hint of shame buried in it. "Can you open the door?"

"Yeah." She opens her bag, digs around in it, then retrieves her car keys, quickly unlocking it. Finn opens the passenger seat door and she the driver's seat, sitting down next to him and shutting the door behind her. They sit there in silence, Rachel just watching him apprehensively. "You want a lift back home?"

"No."

"Will you drive? You brought your truck today."

He sighs. "Don't feel like going home."

She sits up a little straighter and shifts marginally closer to him, feeling like he's about to share the reasons behind his behaviour with her. "Why not?"

"Kurt will be there."

"Yes, your step-brother will be at the house you share. Is that a problem? Are you two fighting again, because-."

"Kurt and Blaine are singing the duet at regionals," he interrupts.

"I know."

"I don't have a role this year," he confesses softly, secretly, and Rachel's face falls as realisation dawns. _That's_ why he's upset. Ever since he'd joined Glee club, he'd been the co-captain, always being picked for lead roles and this time, he'd just be part of the group number, just one of the ensemble, right at the back, dancing awkwardly to the choreographed routine he couldn't keep up with.

"Finn, you're a wonderful singer."

He shakes his head, his eyelids squeezing shut. "I'm clearly not, am I? Or Mr. Schue would have selected me!"

Her eyes widen in surprise at his sharp tone. He's never snapped at her like that before, sounded so furious with her. " _Take that back_."

He opens his eyes at her equally angry tone. "What?"

"Take. It. Back. You are an excellent singer and a vital component of our team."

"Clearly not as vital as you or Kurt," he mutters disdainfully. "You get all the songs every year. You deserve them all, obviously. But it would be nice to get the praise and adoration that you do, you know? For Glee, I mean. I just." He fiddles nervously with a loose thread on his hoodie. "Feel like I'm not as important as you."

"You're important, too, Finn Hudson," she tells him seriously, honestly, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. "You are very important. Especially to me. I love you and I love your voice."

"You do?"

"Of course!" Her hold on him grows tighter. "You're so talented. When you play the drums and sing at the same time - that's amazing. You sound so good! I wish I could play an instrument as well as that."

"You mean it?"

He sounds like a small, insecure child and her heart melts, her hand moving to cup his cheek.

"Yes, I mean it, Finn. You're wonderful, don't forget that. Ok?"

"Ok," he whispers.

A small smile blossoms on her face. "What's that?"

"Ok," he repeats a little louder and kisses her cheek. "I love you, too, Rach and I'm very proud of your solo. Trust me."

"I know you are. Come on, lets go back to mine and watch some Diehard."

He grins. His girl really does know the way to his heart.

 **What do you think of this chapter? Also, we've entered the final two weeks of this story - will be posting every day until Valentine's Day, when the 100th chapter will be posted (which I wrote like 5 months ago)! Ahhhhhh!**


	87. I saved you a seat

**[DISCLAIMER] You know the drill by now. I don't own Glee.**

She's reading through the script one last time in her dressing room when her phone buzzes in her pocket. Removing it, she sees it's a message from Finn. He's sent her a picture of the stage, all set up for Ava's very first dance recital. A dance recital Rachel is going to miss. Tears spring to her eyes as she imagines her daughter skipping about the stage, performing the routine she's practised with Rachel literally hundreds of times. She wants to be there, she _should_ be there. What kind of mother misses her daughter's first show? She shoots Finn a quick text, asking how Ava is and forgoing her usual pre-show ritual of closing herself off from distractions. He replies moments later, saying she's sad her mommy won't be there and she misses her, but she's excited and Burt is recording the whole thing in HD so she'll be able to watch it when she gets home from _her_ show.

It breaks her heart that both performances were scheduled on the same night and Rachel wasn't able to get out of hers, the understudy bailing on her. The director had told her she had to go on stage, she had no choice and they'd search for a new star tomorrow if she didn't. Rachel, respecting him too much, followed through on his wishes, despite her personal objections. It's not like there won't be other dance recitals, she tries to remind herself, but it doesn't help her feel any better. She should be there.

She begins to apply her make-up, covering her skin with a decent amount of foundation, then powder, blush and contouring. Hearing a knock on the door, she puts down her brush and walks over to it, opening the door to find the director staring back at her, a wide smile on his face. She is immediately suspicious as he usually looks significantly more stressed pre-show.

"I have some good news for you," he declares, clapping his hands together. "It turns out that Ange can make the show after all."

Rachel's face fills with lightness. " _Really_?"

"Yep! You better get going - don't want to miss that wonderful little girl of yours' dancing!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She throws her arms around him tightly. "Tell Ange how much I appreciate this!"

"Will do!" And with that, he leaves behind an extremely happy mother.

Composing herself, she manages to finish her make-up in minutes, change into more appropriate street clothes and grab her handbag, dashing off to catch a cab. Ava's recital is only a few blocks away so it isn't long before the yellow taxi is pulling up outside and she's handing over a wad of cash, hurrying into the theatre in which her daughter is performing.

As she enters the auditorium, she sees the lights are dimmed, about thirty little ballerinas pirouetting on stage. She knows where Finn is seated and hastily paces towards him. Spying an empty seat between her husband and daddy, she quickly sits in it, Finn's grin broadening as he slings an arm around her shoulder and presses a chaste kiss to her temple.

"I saved you a seat," he whispers into her ear. "Just in case. I didn't want you to miss this."

She grazes his lips with a loving kiss, touched that he'd be so considerate. "Has she been on yet?"

"She's next," he informs her as they settle down, ready to watch Ava and her superstar talent.

When she enters the stage from the left, dressed like the others in a pink leotard, tutu and fairy wings that she'd taken to modelling around their home for the past two weeks, Rachel grabs Finn's forearm, excitement overwhelming her.

"That's our little girl," Finn says, his voice full of awe as the tiny brunette, a perfect mixture of the two of them, floats about the stage to the music playing. Rachel sneaks a glance in her husband's direction, her eyes leaving Ava for two seconds, long enough to see Finn's mouth slightly open, the corners turning up into a proud smile.

"Thank goodness she didn't inherit your dancing abilities," she murmurs in response, her expression sparkling as Ava steps forward and the other dancers (eight girls and two boys) form a semi-circle, the little Hudson centre-stage. " _Her solo_!"

Ava pirouettes _perfectly_ (Rachel's grin is _so_ smug) and skips away, allowing the next girl to showcase a move. As they work through the class, the music fades and eventually ends, all of the dancers in a line. They curtsey/bow and accept the rapt applause from the audience. During this time, Ava catches sight of Rachel and she jumps up and down, waving frantically in her mother's direction. Rachel waves back just as enthusiastically, blowing a kiss to her daughter, pride surging through her.

Once the show is over, Ava blitzes towards Rachel, the taller brunette sweeping the smaller brunette into her arms and scattering kisses all over her face.

"Mommy is _so_ proud of you, Ava girl," she says, tears welling in her eyes. "You looked so good up there!"

"You really did, baby," Finn chips in, his hand resting on Ava's back.

"I'm so happy you're here, mommy."

"Me, too, beautiful. Me, too."

Rachel turns to face her husband at his words, her gaze softening at his sweet smile.

She determines to buy Ange an even more expensive wine than planned, eternally grateful for her understudy allowing her this moment with her perfect, ridiculously talented, little family.

 **I love Ava. Review?**


	88. I'll see you later

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

She feels bile rise in her throat and darts out of their bed, into the ensuite. She crumples in front of the toilet, a position she's found herself in too many times this month. A large hand touches the small of her back and the tension dissipates. _Finn_.

"You ok, baby?"

Normally she would snap at him ("of course I'm not ok! I've been puking my guts out for the last twenty minutes!"), but she refrains. His hands are kneading away the knots in her shoulders and it feels _so good,_ she can't bare to send him away _._

"Did you ever think of being a masseuse instead of football player?" She asks him seriously, moaning as he undoes a tight knot. "You have magic hands."

He smirks. "No, although I'm glad you think so."

Before she can reply, she retches again, feeling her hair being pulled out of her face by her husband. He rubs at her back until the sickness eases. "I'm going to shower. I feel gross."

He nods and hands her a bath-sized towel, leaving her to it. She likes showering alone at the moment. He thinks pregnancy has reignited her insecurities and he hates that he can't do anything to help her. He hopes this particular habit will change soon, it's so much more difficult to be awake in the mornings without the early shower sessions with his gorgeous wife.

While she showers, he decides to be productive and prepare breakfast. She'll probably try to tell him she doesn't feel up to eating and he'll inform her that she has to eat in order for their baby to grow. That usually does the trick, convincing her to sit down at the table. Once they've acted out the daily dance of encouraging her to eat, she'll gorge on almost anything and everything he puts in front of her (except for meat, she's still maintaining her vegetarian diet throughout her pregnancy).

He scrambles some eggs, gets out some greek yoghurt, her favourite berries, some granola, along with Lucky Charms for him because they're the best.

He hears the water stop and the bathroom door click open. He sticks his head out, catching her in the towel. He grins. "You look great, babe."

"I've just got out of the shower," she points out incredulously.

"You always look good."

She shakes her head and leaves him to it. He showers, too, and is dressed before her. She spends too long analysing her half-naked body in the mirror. Her hands on her belly, she rotates at various angles. He sighs; the breakfast will be going cold. "What's going on, Rach?"

"Do you think I have a bump?" She asks, her hands examining the expanse of skin.

"Um. Do you think you have a bump?" He treads cautiously.

"Mmm. Not sure. I want one. I can't wait to meet him or her."

"Me either. Come on, Rach, the food will be going cold."

She nods and dresses quickly, meeting him in their kitchen. "This looks great," she murmurs.

He chuckles softly as she takes a huge mouthful of cereal, her cheeks puffing out like a hamster. He sits beside her and they talk aimlessly about their plans for the day.

"I have to get going," he says disappointedly, seeing the time. He stands from his seat to find his wife pouting up at him.

"Do you really have to leave us?"

"I have training."

Her eyes widen. "You could skip it."

Damn her. "No, no, I can't."

"I'd love you forever if you stayed," she says, batting her eyelashes at him.

He chuckles, pressing a brief kiss to her lips. "That's funny, babe. You'll love me forever regardless."

"That's true." She sticks out her lower lip further, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. "Me and baby will miss you though."

He feels his resolve wavering. "While I'll miss you as well, I'll see you later. It's only a few hours."

"A few hours too long," she complains.

"I really have to go, Rach."

She sighs melodramatically. "Fine. Whatever. Abandon us."

"I have to work in order for us to be able to afford all the baby stuff you and Kurt have earmarked."

"Ok, I get it. Go to work," she responds, conceding his point. "You have to give us kisses before you leave though."

"Of course I'm going to give you goodbye kisses, silly," he says, his tone incredulous. He presses his lips firmly against hers, kissing her soundly. She moans and he has to pull away quickly before he becomes distracted and late for training. He kisses her belly, whispering, "I love you, baby."

 **Review, plleeaaassseee**.


	89. I noticed

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

She twists a lock of hair around her first finger as she sits in French class. She'd had it cut the night before, losing a significant amount of hair, but so far nobody at McKinley had said anything about the change, not even her friends. The bell rings and she hurries to pack her bag, leaving the classroom in a rush and heading to the nearest bathroom. A brief scan confirms she's alone, allowing her to look in the mirror without being called a freak or a narcissist. Her dark brown hair now finishes just above her shoulders in a long-bob that she'd woken up early just to curl lightly, thinking it would gain her a bunch of compliments. Not even Kurt or Mercedes had mentioned anything and they're self-proclaimed fashion experts. She stares at her reflection in the mirror, fingering the bangs she'd had put in. She wonders if it looks ok, if people are keeping quiet in an attempt to save her feelings because it's awful. She begins to doubt her decision to switch up the style when Santana-always-has-perfect-hair-Lopez steps out of a stall, a smirk on her face as she sees Rachel closely observing her appearance.

"It seems I've had more influence on you than you'd like to think," she says, coming up behind the brunette. "Checking yourself in the mirror between classes. Oh, how you have changed, Berry."

"Shut up, Santana," she snaps, not interested in the Latina's harsh comments that are sure to come her way.

She holds up her now-washed hands. "I wasn't going to say anything." She dries them with paper towels, throwing them over her shoulder and into the trash on her way out, giving Rachel a little wave.

The brunette attempts to copy her, her shot missing by miles. She picks up the litter, places it carefully in the trash and speed-walks to her next class.

Feeling pretty dismal by the time she reaches Glee, she doesn't speak for the entire session. She tries to rush off at the end as everybody dissipates, Finn tugging her back by the hand. "Hey, what's going on?"

She releases a breath, her eyes suddenly welling with tears. He shushes her, hugging her tightly, her head crashing against his chest. He rubs her back as she cries.

"Rachel?"

She pulls back from him, wiping at her mascara-smudged eyes. "I had a hair cut last night."

"I noticed," he says, playing with the bottom of the bob. "It looks nice. It suits you."

"You're the only one who's said anything," she tells him despondently, her cheeks colouring with embarrassment.

" _Really_? Maybe they were all so jealous about how fantastic you look, they didn't say anything, for fear of turning into the green eyed monster."

"I doubt it. When has anybody ever been envious of me?"

"I have," he admits. At her shocked expressions, he explains, "I've always been really jealous about your singing voice, that you're way better than me."

" _Finn_! You're an amazing singer."

"I'm nowhere near your level, Rach. Nobody is."

She thinks she could cry. He is the best person in the entire world. She dives forward, her arms wrapping around him. His palm sweeps over her back in a comforting motion.

"The people who ignored your haircut are idiots. It's beautiful. _You're_ beautiful, Rachel Berry."

He can feel her cheeks lift against his shoulder as her smile grows, him grinning in return.

 **Review?**


	90. You can tell me anything

**[DISCLAIMER] We're 90 chapters into this thing, I think you've realised by now that I don't own Glee.**

Leaning against the kitchen counter, she watches closely as Finn mulls around in front of her. He's quiet, which is unusual. Most of the time he sings whilst he cooks and does little dances that always make her throw back her head in laughter. But not today. He's been subdued ever since he woke up and it's not until she catches a glimpse of the calendar hanging on the wall behind him that she realises his problem. It's the 5th, the dreaded date where her husband becomes a recluse; the date his father died all those years ago.

Although Finn never really knew his father, this day is emotional for him every year. It's not normally quite as bad as _this_ though. He never ignores her.

"Finn," she murmurs softly.

His head lifts from the chopping board where the onion lies expectantly, his hand holding the knife mid-air. "Yes?"

"Is everything ok? You look… sad."

"I'm fine," he returns quickly, beginning to chop the onion. She sees a track of tears run down his cheek and her worry increases tenfold. She steps closer to him so she's by his side (like she always will be) and touches his forearm with her hand.

"You can tell me anything, Finn," she breathes. "I love you. I married you. I'm having a baby with you. I'm not going to judge you."

His sharp inward breath is audible, causing Rachel's heart to clench. She wishes she could make this better for him.

"Please, Finn?"

"It's the anniversary of-."

"Your dad passing," she finishes. "I know."

He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "I miss him."

"I know that, too."

"I never had a father growing up," he tells her, his expression strained, his body language closed off. "I lost him before I even _really_ knew him."

"I'm so sorry, Finn," she whispers, her hold on him tightening. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what it's like to have a father. To be a father."

" _Finn_ -."

"No," he shushes her, needing to say this. "You talk. A lot. And normally I love it, but. I just. Need to say this. I have no idea what it takes to be a dad – _a good dad_ – a dad our child deserves. What if-."

"Finn, _no_." She kisses him to prevent him from saying anything else, because she doesn't know what else to do. Her hands rest on his cheeks, her fingers tracing the contours of his face, the softness of his skin in contrast to the stubble he's been growing for the past few weeks. Her chocolate brown eyes stare into his hazel ones, her love for him shining through. "You are going to be an _amazing_ dad. I promise you."

"But-."

"Shut up." She presses her finger to his lips. "Now it's my turn to talk. So what if you didn't have a father growing up? I didn't have a mother. And you still think I'm going to be a good mom, don't you?"

He nods silently.

"Good answer." A small smile peeks onto her face, reflected in his. "You love me and you love our child and that's all that really matters. You're going to be great."

He still seems uncertain, but he kisses her again because she's, like, _right there_ , and he can. He feels the baby kick as they kiss and chuckles happily against his wife's lips.

"They're telling you they love you, too."

"Ya think?"

"Of course!"

He grins. Maybe she's right. Maybe this will be ok. Besides, they're both new to this, they will mess up from time to time, but they can mess up together. As long as he has her, everything will be ok, he thinks.

"Want to watch Diehard and snuggle on the couch?" She suggests with a flirtatious smile.

"That was my dad's favourite movie," he points out quietly as they head to the couch and she sits down, him taking his position at her side, his arm stretching around her shoulders.

"I know."

He laughs. "You just know everything, don't you?"

"I sure do." She giggles delightedly as he tickles her.

He might not have his dad anymore, but he has Rachel and he's so glad that they're starting they're own new little family together.

 **TEN CHAPTERS TO GO.**


	91. I hope you like it

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

"Rach?" He calls, dropping his keys on the table as he enters their home. "Rach?" He shouts again, wondering where his wife and kids are.

"In the bedroom!" Comes her voice and he follows in her direction, smiling instantly upon opening the door and seeing her sat on the bed, her hands resting on her barely-showing belly. "Hey," she says.

"Hey," he says back, sitting beside her. He slips his hand on top of hers and grins. He can't wait for their _third_ \- he can't believe it - baby to grow bigger. When Rachel was pregnant with both Ava and Chris, he used to love pressing his hand against her bump and feeling his children kick in response to his words and, often, singing. "Have a good day?"

"Very good. And you?"

"It's better for seeing you," he replies cheesily, making her giggle.

"You're such a dork."

"A dork you chose to marry and have three kids with."

She rolls her eyes at him. "About that..."

"What? Are the kids alright?" He suddenly looks panicked, so she takes hold of his left hand, squeezing it reassuringly. A smile blossoms on her face as she feels the cool metal band pressing into her skin, a reminder of his promise to love her forever.

"They're ok, Finn. They're actually staying with my parents tonight because I have something to tell you."

His pupils are still dilated with anxiety.

"Um. Ok." She reaches under the bed and removes a perfectly wrapped parcel, with a label addressed to him.

"For _me_? But it's not a special occasion, is it?"

"No, no. It's just because. I hope you like it." She shrugs and gives him an encouraging nod to open the gift.

He does. Tearing away at the paper and chucking it on the floor, he reminds her of an overexcitable child at Christmas.

"Why can't you open presents like a normal adult?" She wonders aloud and he chuckles, throwing her a flirty smirk.

"C'mon, babe. You wouldn't love me any other way."

She doesn't say anything. Though she is loathe to admit it, he does have a point. She loves him a ridiculous amount and wouldn't change anything about her dorky husband. Although she does wish he'd hurry up, barely able to contain herself.

Finally rid of the paper, Finn finds himself staring at a tiny Jets shirt, the material the perfect size for a young baby. As he lifts it up to inspect the back (which proudly adorns the name "Hudson"), he realises there's a second shirt underneath. He doesn't think anything of it at first, assuming Rachel's bought a second for the baby to wear while the other is in the wash, until he catches Rachel's sparkling eyes and the way she's biting her lip.

"Finn..."

He is so confused. "Yeah?"

"There's two shirts there," she states the obvious.

He still doesn't catch on. "I know I'm bad at maths, but I can count up to two, Rach."

"There's _two_ shirts there," she stresses and his eyes go wide.

"Oh my god, _are we having twins_?"

"We're having twins!" She cheers, a large toothy smile overwhelming her face.

His mouth has fallen open and he looks dumbstruck. "...twins? We're going to have four kids?"

"Yep!"

"Oh my god!" He throws his arms around her and hugs her as tight as he can (without crushing his _two_ growing babies to death). "This is amazing! Oh my god! I'm having twins with Rachel Berry!"

"Hudson," she corrects with a wet laugh, tears streaming down her cheeks.

He just kisses her. Her hands run through his hair. His hands are on either side of her face. Their lips are pressed together in a passionate kiss, neither wanting to separate, like, ever.

"So was that a good gift or what?" She asks through her tears once they finally pull apart, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"It was an _incredible_ gift," he gushes and kisses her again.

 **I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to my one-a-day schedule. Oh well. In order to stay on track with the final chapter being posted on the 14th and to reward all your lovely reviews, I decided to post a second chapter today! :)**

 **NINE CHAPTERS TO GO.**


	92. I want you to be happy

**[DISCLAIMER] Don't own Glee.**

Splashing warm water over her skin, she removes the cleanser, leaving her skin bare and fresh-feeling. She glances over to the door as Finn enters. Finn. Her husband. She internally squees and her insides do a little dance.

"Hey, babe," he murmurs, coming up behind her and sliding his arms around her front. With the height advantage, he is able to rest his chin against the top of her head, watching their reflection in the mirror. He drops a kiss to her hair and sees a smile creep onto her face, making him smile in return. "You look so beautiful."

His voice is muffled, making her grin widen with mirth. "Thanks. You do, too."

"You look happy," he says, observing her expression, her sparkling eyes, her cheeks flushed in the way they do whenever something good happens to her. It makes _him_ happy that he's the one that put it there. Their marriage.

"This is the best day of my life," she declares seriously, truthfully, turning around in his arms to face him. "Marrying you... I feel so lucky."

"If I were you, I'd feel the same, being with me."

She punches him in the shoulder and he chuckles lowly.

"You punch like a fairy," he tells her through his laughter.

"You want me to hit harder?"

"No, no, no, no, no. That's ok."

"I thought that's what you'd say. Honestly, though, are you happy?"

"Incredibly so." Hazel eyes meet their chocolate counterparts. "I can't believe we're married, Rach. Husband and wife."

"Me either." She reaches up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against his lips, which he deepens. "Call me your wife again," she whispers against his mouth.

"I love you, my wife. My wife is so beautiful. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be married to my wife."

She moans, throwing her arms around his neck. He lifts her up, her legs securing themselves around his waist as he carries her to their room, lying her down on their mattress.

He crawls over her, a smirk on his face. "My wife is the best, hottest person I've ever seen."

After an intense lovemaking session (or two), they lie in bed, Finn curling into Rachel, his hand stroking up and down her bare side, her skin soft, supple, comforting, like home.

"Today was so special," she announces after several minutes of blissful silence. "It was so much better than seven year old Rachel could have ever imagined."

"Yeah?" His cheeks lift in a smile. "I'm glad. I want you to be happy, that's all I want."

"Well, I am."

"I can see," he says. Her eyes are sparkling with delight, the apples of her cheeks flushed pink, her voice filled with excitement and every so often, when she thinks he's not looking, he sees her do a little happy dance. It's the cutest thing ever.

"Can you believe we're _married_?"

He shakes his head because he can't. He's wanted this for years and now his dream has finally come true. He gets to life his life with this perfect woman, who's gone from being his best friend in the entire world to the love of his life to his _wife_. He can't believe it all. Nobody is this lucky? _How is he this lucky?_ He discretely pinches himself to check if he's still dreaming _. Ow._ He's not.

He glances up at Rachel at the sound of her giggle. He gives her a querying look.

"Did you just pinch yourself?"

He blushes. "Um. Maybe. Yeah. Well, that's what people say all the time, right?"

She only giggles more, then throws her arms around him. "God, I love you, Finn Hudson."

"Love you more, Mrs. Hudson."

 **Review?**

 **EIGHT CHAPTERS TO GO.**


	93. I believe in you

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

Strolling down the corridor filled with actors milling around, some already in costume, others not even close, he notices that everybody looks just as stressed as each other. He finally spots his desired dressing room, the plaque on the door reading: Rachel Hudson, Elphaba. He knocks three times and she calls "ok!" to let him know he can come in. He grins as he spots her at her dressing table, her skin already mostly covered by green.

"Hey, babe! I would kiss you, but..."

She giggles, patting the table, encouraging him to sit down. The make-up and hair team are still working on her, so he's a little apprehensive about getting in their way, but the lady with a make-up brush in her hand nods at him in a friendly manner, so he assumes he's good to go. He perches himself on the table and watches as his wife is transformed.

"Did you have a good day?" She asks, her eyes flitting between him and the mirror as she closely observes the progress to ensure their doing their job correctly. As well as being part of the cast, she's a major fan and wants, no, needs, everything to be just _perfect_.

"Yeah. Training was good. Found it difficult to focus though. I was so excited for tonight."

The corners of her mouth lift into a smile at his adorable-ness and her make-up artist, currently trying to apply lipstick, scolds her. "Can you give us a minute?" Rachel directs to the make-up artist, who is all but finished anyway.

Reluctantly, she nods, packs up her stuff and leaves the married couple alone in the dressing room with a small wave of her hand.

"What's up?" Finn asks, noticing the mood change. Rachel's former bubbly self has disappeared, replaced by a much more nervous looking Rachel. "Stage fright?"

"Yes," she admits honestly. "I've never really experienced it before, but I'm really nervous."

"I mean, this is your opening night for Wicked - that's a huge deal! - it's natural to feel nervous."

"Not for me it isn't." She chews her lower lip and drums her fingers against her thigh. "What if I mess up one of my big notes? Or fall over on stage? Or- or-."

"Rach, Rachel, babe." He slides off the table and kneels down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "You are not going to mess up. You were born for this role. You love this role. You can absolutely do this. I swear to you."

"That's sweet, Finn, but you're just saying that because you're married to me."

"I am married to you," he says with a smirk because he loves the sound of that and always will. "I'm not just saying _anything_ though. You're so talented. You're going to be the best Elphaba ever-."

She gives him a stern glare. "Idina Menzel, Finn! I am taking over Idina's role. _Idina_."

Her voice is like ten pitches higher than usual and he has to forcefully stifle his laughter, knowing that would not help the situation. He shrugs. "She's alright?"

" _Alright_? Finn Hudson, she's Idina Menzel, for goodness sake! She's the _queen_."

"Well, she's not. The queen is the queen. And, anyway, I always thought Babs was your favourite - has she been replaced?" He gasps over-dramatically, inspired by the Broadway setting.

"Babs will always be my favourite, but I can easily admit that Idina is also incredible. It's so daunting taking over her iconic role! What if I don't do it justice?"

"You will," he replies confidently. "You will smash it. I believe in you."

Her cheeks pink. "You do?"

"Of course, Rach. I always have."

She surges forward to kiss him, her fingers finding the nape of his neck and lacing themselves in his dark, gorgeous hair, deepening the kiss. "I love you," she whispers between kisses, her lips lightly hitting his as she talks.

"I love you more," he returns, his voice barely more than a breath, but she hears, her mouth curving upwards. "I've probably ruined your make-up though."

She pulls away and sees that, yeah, her make-up is a now a little undone, a little patch of white skin peaking through the green. She curses and quickly rectifies the ruined areas. Finn watches her slack-jawed, his gaze fixed upon her. Noticing his expression in the mirror, she asks, "what's up?"

"Nothing," comes his response. "You're just extremely beautiful, is all."

She raises a single, perfectly shaped brow. "Like this? All green and witchy?"

"Always," he says, his voice carrying much too much sentiment for a crappy dressing room five minutes before she goes on stage as Elphaba for the very first time. "You ready?"

She inspects her appearance in the mirror and glances around the room to see if she's forgotten anything. "Ready."

"Great." He takes her hand, squeezing it reassuringly and walks with her to where the rest of the cast are congregating backstage. He squeezes her hand again and says, "break a leg".

A beautiful smile grows on her face. "I love you."

Of course, as everybody predicted, Rachel was amazing, incredible, perfect.

Her performance isn't surprising for Finn, who is mesmerised for the entire show, physically unable to take his eyes of his wife (even during those scenes with Fiyero. Ugh. He shudders just thinking about it).

Once she's taken her bows and received a thoroughly deserved standing ovation from the crowd, he meets her backstage, a bouquet of roses in his hands. She forgoes the flowers and jumps into his arms, so overwhelmingly happy and proud and exhilarated and to put the cherry on top of the cake, her favourite person is here to share the experience with her.

 **This chapter is kind of a 2 parter with tomorrow's, because the titles are so similar.**

 **Review?**

 **SEVEN CHAPTERS TO GO.**


	94. You can do it

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

She wraps herself further around his hunched back and presses a comforting kiss to his shoulder. They've been lying in bed for the past half hour, neither of them saying a word, but she can tell he's not sleeping, he can't, and it's preventing her from drifting off into a peaceful slumber. His breathing is laboured, his skin clammy and she thinks they have this telepathic connection where she just _knows_ his mind is running through the worst possible outcomes. Getting injured. Playing badly. Losing the game. Dropping the ball. The entire stadium laughing at him. He's expressed these concerns to her before, but they've obviously resurfaced the night before The Big Day: his Jets debut.

"You ok?" She says softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Nervous," he responds, his voice muffled by the pillow. Rolling over to face her, she feels her heartstrings tug at the bags beneath his eyes and the anxious expression etched into his face. "Sorry for keeping you awake."

She reaches her hand out and cups his cheek. "It's not your fault. I'm simply worried about my husband."

He leans into her touch. "I'm just-. It's such a huge deal. I don't... know if I'm ready."

"Of course you are, Finn!"

His eyes flick to the mattress, avoiding her loving gaze. "You're just saying that."

"I am not," she defends herself. "You're an incredible athlete. You've worked so hard for this. You deserve this. I'd think that whether you were my husband or just some hot football player I'd seen on TV."

He lets out a half-chuckle and allows himself to catch her stare for a millisecond. It's so powerful, so full of love and it blows him away that this woman has chose to love _him_. "Hot football player, huh?"

" _Very_ hot," she confirms, her eyes giving his body a once-over, her teeth biting her lower lip. "Don't try to distract me though, beautiful. We're not done talking about this."

He groans, hiding his head in his hands. "Rach, plea-."

"No, Finn. Listen to me: you're ready for this. You're absolutely ready for this. Coach wouldn't let you play if he didn't agree, would he?"

He doesn't move his hands from his face, because, ok, even though she has a point, he's still terrified that he's not good enough for this and that he's not good enough for this and that he's not good enough for this.

"You are good enough," she tells him, as though she can read his mind. He feels her soft skin at his wrists, loosely pulling his hands away, revealing his face with his tight jaw and disbelieving expression. "You _can_ do it, Finn."

He shakes his head wearily. "I don't-."

"What did you say to me before my first performance as Elphaba?" She asks. He makes to shake his head again, but she shoots him a stern glare. She knows he remembers. He talks about that night all the time. "What did you say, Finn?"

"That I believe in you," he breathes, his gaze catching hers. His breath catches in his throat as he sees the way she's looking at him, like she believes in him wholeheartedly, like he can do anything.

"Well, the feeling is very much reciprocated."

"Reciprocated?" He furrows his brow, unsure of the meaning.

"Mutual. The same. I believe in you, too."

"You do?"

"Why are you surprised? You're amazing, Finn. You impress me time and time again with your strength, your talent, your support. How could I not believe in you?"

He just kisses her and doesn't stop, grateful to have such an incredible, supportive person in his life.

* * *

The Big Day arrives and, as he's running out onto the pitch to warm up with his team mates, he scans the crowd. He roughly knows where her seat is in the stadium, and when his eyes catch her (seated six rows from the front), his face lights up with a smile.

She's wearing a Jets jersey (with "Mrs Hudson" printed on the back, of course) with her brunette tresses pulled up into a high pony and green warrior-like face paint on her cheeks. She's waving frantically at him, jumping up and down with his excitement. He just shakes his head, a happy smile working its way onto her face. He loves this woman so much.

(When he eventually scores the winning touchdown, he points to her, dedicating his first touchdown as an NFL player to her - his perfect, extraordinary wife - and then, every one after that.)

 **I'm the worst at sticking to schedules when it comes to fanfiction. Apologies.**


	95. Good luck

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee isn't mine.**

"Congratulations, Huds," Puck says cheerfully, smacking his best friend on the back as he enters the locker room.

Finn smiles in return. "Thanks, man."

"What's this about?" Paul, one of their fellow teammates, asks, intrigued.

"Huds has got a big date tonight," Puck announces to the entire locker room, making Finn's cheeks blush, which only serves to interest them further.

"Ooooh! Who is it, Hudson?"

Puck, once again, steps in for his best friend, enjoying his embarrassment very much. "Berry!"

"Ha! Good luck with that!"

Finn's head snaps in Paul's direction, immediately defensive. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs. "Ya know, it's Berry. Notoriously high-maintenance. Massive diva. _Huge_ snoz. Just... Good luck with that."

Finn's expression tightens, his jaw locking and his eyes shooting a sharp glare in the footballer player's direction.

"Everybody, move all the chairs out of Hudson's way! He's gonna blow!"

"Actually, move everything out of the way! You know how he is."

Finn jumps off the bench in a rush of anger. "I'm right here you know!"

His teammates start laughing as they change out of their gym gear, making jokes about Rachel and it takes all of Finn's energy _not_ to pin them against the wall and beat the crap out of them.

"Hey, Hudson - what's it like dating the biggest nerd in the school?"

Finn snaps, the built up tension inside up exploding like a volcano. He grabs Paul by his shirt and glares fiercely at him. Through the grit of his teeth, he says, "do _not_ talk about her like that."

"Threatening me, Hudson?" The footballer smirks. "What're you gonna do? Sing about how upset you are in your lame glee club with your lame, ugly girlfriend?"

"I said, don't talk about Rachel like that."

Finn feels a firm hand grab his shoulder in an attempt to pull him back, but he fights against it. Rachel is the _best_. He won't stand for bullying anymore at McKinley - nobody deserves such treatment, especially his beautiful, talented, sweet Rachel.

Paul looks like he's taking great enjoyment out of the situation, goading Finn even further.

Eventually, sick of the cruel words he's hearing, Finn balls up his fist and smacks the footballer player around the jaw, putting all his weight behind the punch.

"You're gonna regret that, Hudson," Paul warns lowly, rubbing at his jaw, before catching Finn off guard with a hit to his cheekbone, just below his eye.

* * *

Later that day, when he walks into Glee with a bag of frozen peas over his eye, everybody looks concerned, especially Rachel who practically jumps off her seat and hurries towards him, worry emanating from her expression.

"Finn!" She removes the bag from his face and gasps as she sees the deep purple bruise forming on his skin, a lump forming. "Oh my God! Who did this to you? What happened? Why would they do this? Oh my God!"

"Rach," he breathes, placing the bag back to his eye because the pain is pretty bad. He touches her hand and she grips his tightly in return. "I'm fine."

"You are clearly not fine, Finn Hudson! Look at you!"

He shrugs it off, taking his usual seat. "It's nothing."

"It most certainly is. Tell me."

"The team were insulting you in the locker room today," he says softly, his eyes slipping shut. He doesn't want to see the hurt on her face. "I stuck up for you, obviously, and, well... They did this to my face."

Rachel feels tears build. She gulps, fighting them back. "What did they say?"

"Rach..."

"What did they say, Finn?"

He knows the rest of the Glee club are watching and listening intently. He can feel all eyes on him. He takes Rachel's hand in his, intwining her slender fingers with his, the size of his palm twice the size of hers. He stands up and gently tugs Rachel to her feet, guiding her silently to somewhere more private. He finds an empty classroom a few doors down and sits on one of the tables, Rachel standing in front of him. He opens his legs and she steps inside the 'v'; his body framing hers, his arms holding her protectively.

"I want you to know I don't agree with this. At all. And I thought them on it from the moment-."

"Just tell me," she says, her voice trembling with nervousness.

"They called you ugly," he confesses, wincing at Rachel's sharp intake of breath. She expels the air from her lungs. He just watches her, both of them frozen in position, holding on to each other as if they're all that matters. "You're not. You're beautiful, gorgeous, stunning. I told them that and, well, _black eye_."

She swallows, stifling the tears that threaten to slide down her cheeks. "Thank you for defending me."

" _Rach_..."

She lets go then, her body slumping against his, losing the will to fight the tears. She sobs, soaking his shirt wet through, but he doesn't care. All he cares about is his palm gently stroking her back and making sure his girl is ok... Well, as ok as she can be.

Finn loses track of time. Before he knows it, the bell is ringing, signalling the end of glee and he can hear the rush of students leave McKinley. They still don't move. His hand is in her hair now, twisting a strand around his finger, then letting it fall against her back, then twirling another strand.

He'll stay like this as long as she needs him because he loves her (they haven't said it, but he does, incredibly so, completely unconditionally) and because she doesn't deserve such treatment.

He'll get punched in the face every day if that's what it takes to defend her, protect her, because her happiness is all that really matters to him.

 **I'm really running out of steam here. This chapter was a struggle, not gonna lie. I know Finn and Rachel don't say it to each other, but this was all I could come up with. I don't know. What do you think?**


	96. I brought you an umbrella

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee, if I did St. Berry would definitely NOT have been endgame and she would have thanked Finn in her acceptance speech, instead of that egg-throwing idiot. (I'm not bitter at all. Nope.)**

They're in London for the release of her latest album and, as Rachel heads out of The Savoy, she is greeted by The Great British Weather. The sky is clouded over, making everything appear dull and lifeless and the rain is hammering against the ground. It's August. She glances down at the outfit she's selected for her press day, a knee-length royal blue dress, open-toed heels and a thin jacket. She sighs as she steps out of the shelter of the hotel and a strong gust of wind causes her hair to fly in front of her face. She teeters forwards as she sees a cab slow to a stop, but freezes, her hand mid-air, as the passenger gets out.

Jesse St. James.

As in, her old love interest from summer camp, the guy who broke her heart, cracked eggs over her head, putting her off the food for the rest of her life.

He looks good now though, she thinks. He looks older, more mature and like a fine wine, he has become better with age. He still has the same curled hair, wind swept and delicious looking. He's wearing tight jeans, a white shirt and a smart, slim-fitting jacket that makes him seem extremely attractive. She shakes it off, forcing herself to think of her perfect husband upstairs in their hotel room, who is way more gorgeous and has never covered her with eggs (apart from that one drunken food fight they had when they were baking, but that doesn't count). She observes as he puts up an umbrella, realising that she's now absolutely soaked. He smiles as he notices her presence, pacing towards her.

"Rachel Berry?"

"That's me," she says, grinning. That hasn't technically been her name in a _very_ long time, however, she's so consumed by the fact that Jesse St. James is in front of her, she forgets to rectify his mistake. "How have you been, Jesse?"

"Pretty great, actually. I'm starring in Hamlet, right now, whilst writing my own, more musical, script. I've been living in London for about fifteen years now, so I've done my rounds of all the major West End shows and I wanted to try my hand at writing one."

"That's impressive," she responds. "It's a truly wonderful city."

"It is," he agrees. "Are you living here as well?"

"No, New York. I've just released an album so I'm only visiting for a few days to promote it."

"That's amazing. How is life in the Big Apple?"

"Spectacular, mind-blowing, everything I've ever dreamed of," she says happily. "It's fascinating. There's always so much going on, so much more to see. I've been living there since graduation and there are still huge parts of the city I have yet to explore."

"You're on Broadway, right? Please tell me you made it to Broadway."

"I did, actually. I've been in many shows, won quite a lot of Tony awards, too. Do you not watch them anymore?"

"Busy schedule," he explains. "Plus, I don't keep up with the gossip, preferring to fully absorb myself in my art."

She nods along, ducking under his umbrella as the rain strengthens.

"You're wet through," he points out matter-of-factly.

She groans. "I know. I'll have to change into one of the outfits at the studio."

He looks her up and down, a leering smirk forming on his face. "You still look good."

She blushes.

At that moment, her husband decides to run out of the hotel, umbrella in hand. She laughs softly at him; he looks like Mary Poppins.

"Finn Hudson?" Jesse asks, his mouth falling open in shock. "You're still with that idiot?"

Rachel's smile falls, offended. "He is not-."

"Jesse?" Comes her husband's voice as he nears the two of them, his tone showing he is just as surprised as his old-competition.

"The very same," he replies. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you an umbrella," he says to Rachel, shoving Jesse's away carelessly. "So she doesn't need yours anymore."

"Still possessive and immature, I see. I don't know what you like about him, Rachel. I really don't."

"Excuse me?" He takes a few angry steps closer to Jesse, shooting the man a fierce glare.

"I don't know what Rachel sees in you," he says slowly, over-enunciating each word, speaking to Finn as though he's dense. "She's way too sexually alluring for you."

"Don't talk about my wife like that," Finn growls. He attempts to grab Jesse, but Rachel pulls him back, her hand wrapping around his bicep.

"Your wife? You two are married?"

"Yes, happily. For a long time. We have four kids. So back the hell off."

" _Finn_!" Rachel hisses. "Calm down."

"No, I will not calm down when he's objectifying you like that. _Plus_ , he insulted me, I have every right to be pissed off."

"You don't need to resort to anger and violence though, Finn. What if there are paparazzi lurking around? You don't want to tarnish your good reputation," she tells him, her hand squeezing his arm. "He's not worth it."

"Hang on a minute," Jesse says, shaking his head, needing to catch up for a minute. "You're married? When did this happen?"

"Not long after we moved to New York."

"And you have kids? Four of them?" He is shocked. "Rachel, you look fantastic. I would never have guessed that you birthed four children with your physique."

"Alright, seriously, dude?" Finn frowns. "Stop checking out my wife."

"I have a regular workout routine that I stick to and I eat healthily." She shrugs in response. "I think all the sex with my husband helped me to lose the weight, too."

Jesse's mouth drops open and Finn seems pretty stunned, but proud, at her brazen words.

"I-. I think I'm going to go. I have w-work. Goodbye, Rachel. Finn," he says, making awkward eye contact, before dipping his head and hurrying down the street.

Rachel turns to Finn, laying her hands against his chest. "Thank you for bringing this umbrella."

"You're welcome." He fingers one soaking strand of hair that's beginning to curl. "I think I was a bit late though. Aren't you going to get a cold?"

"I'll be fine, Finn," she replies, kissing him. "And thank you for standing up for me in front of Jesse. I really appreciate it."

"Anything for my beautiful wife."

"I hope it didn't make you too uncomfortable, that we were talking. I just saw him and wanted to catch-up. I didn't feel anything towards him, I swear."

"I know. I trust you inexplicably," he says and she smiles at his sweetness. "Also, I ended up being lucky enough to be loved by you, unlike him. So who's the real winner here?"

"Definitely you. You're incredibly lucky, Mr. Hudson." She giggles softly as she looks up at him, his gaze full of love and adoration.

"I am indeed, Mrs. Hudson. As are you."

"Hmmm. I'm not so sure about that one," she teases, her hand placed on her chin as she seriously considers it. She breaks character as her husband pouts and she reaches up to press her lips against his. "I guess I am pretty fortunate. You're alright."

"Thanks, babe." He laughs, then checks the time. "You better get going."

She checks the time, too, and her teasing demeanour disappears, replaced by one of stress. "Oh God, I'm going to be so late!"

"You won't. Just breathe. It's fine," he coaches her, his hands on her shoulders. He lifts one hand to hail a taxi and opens the door for her when it stops. She kisses him for a final time and gets in, Finn slamming the door behind her. He waves her off as the taxi drives away from the hotel, his thoughts of Jesse resurfacing. Yes, he'd felt extremely jealous and irritated upon seeing her with an "ex-boyfriend" (they'd never actually gone on any dates, just kissed) and a flirtatious one at that, but he knows Rachel wouldn't do anything to jeopardise their marriage. Jesse should be the jealous one, he realises, as he's the one who's drawn the short straw, not getting to love Rachel, not getting to have her children. Whereas Finn, well, he's won the lottery.

 **I wrote this chapter** ** _ages ago_** **and have been waiting like 3/4 months to post it. Hope it's been worth the wait! Let me know what you think in the reviews!**


	97. I'll pick you up at the airport

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

One week earlier, the last time she was in this airport, he'd kissed her goodbye and promised: "I'll pick you up at the airport when you get back." It had been a long, hard week away from him and their children; she hadn't wanted to leave them for Paris - even though it's a wonderful city - she'd just rather be with her precious family.

As she nears the waiting area, her eyes search the expansive room, filled with a sea of faces, some busy travellers bustling onto their next destination, drivers with signs, waiting to pick up their passengers, families anticipating the arrival of their loved ones. She doesn't yet see her family, even though her husband is a giant, but her eyes continue to scan the endless faces for that familiar smile. Approaching the large crowd, she glances towards the left, then the right, then back to the left, her eyes spotting an adorable child sitting on well-known shoulders. _Her_ child. _Her_ husband's shoulders.

Her eyes sparkle as the races towards them, zigzagging through the throng of people. It's clear Ava sees her now, as the little girl is alternating between pointing and waving excitedly; Finn's expression showing just as much excitement as his daughter. He carefully lowers her to the ground when Rachel is close and gazes at his two favourite girls adoringly as his wife lifts his daughter into her arms and hugs her tightly, scattering kisses all over her face.

Desperate to kiss his wife after a week apart, he steps forward and tickles his daughter's armpits, making her giggle and squirm in Rachel's arms. "My turn," he growls jealously, his eyes worshiping Rachel's petite frame.

"Daddy!" She squeals. "Stop! _Stop_!"

"My turn for kisses then!"

Rachel drops Ava to the ground and practically launches herself at her husband, her arms thrown around his neck, bringing herself closer to him as they kiss.  
Her skin is radiant, glowing, when they pull away, the kiss getting a little too intense for such a public setting (and in front of their daughter). Finn delights in the joyful grin on her face and catches her hand in his, squeezing it comfortingly.

"We've missed you this week, haven't we, Ava girl?"

Latching hold of Rachel's other hand, while Finn takes her luggage, Ava nods in agreement. "Very, very, emvery/em much."/div

"I'm glad," she says, unable to formulate a longer response, blown away by the love her husband and daughter have for her. It's an amazing feeling, to be loved so deeply, and as she walks out of the airport, hand in hand with her two favourite people, she can't stop the mega-watt smile that creeps onto her face.

 **I can't believe this story is nearly over.**

 **Review? :)**


	98. Take a deep breath

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee.**

 **This chapter is for Kedzie3238, the 200th reviewer of this story. I hope you like how this one turned out! :) (PS. I can't believe that this story is now closer to 300 reviews than 200... like. That's crazy! I can't thank you people enough!)**

It's been two weeks since they got married and Finn can safely say they've been the happiest two weeks of his life. He's spent pretty much every moment possible with _his wife_ and loving every second of it.

It was a mutual decision to keep their wedding a secret from their friends and family, just for a little while, so they could enjoy quality time together without everybody making a huge deal about the fact they just eloped.

It's taken them many nights and even more disagreements about when they should tell their families. Surprisingly, Rachel had been the one who wanted to keep their elopement a secret for longer. Nerves, or something.

("What if they're disappointed in us, Finny?" She frets one night as they lay in bed, her using his chest as a pillow. "I can't have my daddies being disappointed in me! I really can't!"

"They won't be," he assures her, although, realistically, he has no idea how any of their parents would react. He knows they'll be happy for them in the long run, but what if they think they're too young to get married? Or they're mad about them keeping it a secret?

She rolls over so she's facing him, her anxious face peeking up at his. "How do you know?"

"I don't, but-."

"Oh my God! They're going to be _furious_ -."

"Rach! _Rach_." He rests his palm against her back and softly strokes the expanse of skin, knowing it relaxes his wife. "Calm down. Take a deep breath. It will be ok."

"But, what if-."

"No. You mustn't think like that," he insists and he kisses her because, well, he can. "We're married. I have you and you have me and that's all that really matters – who cares what our parents think?"

She looks like she might have a heart attack right then and there. " _I care!_ "

"I know you care. You care about everybody and everything. It's one of the reasons I love you so much and I know you're worried about negative reactions, but they'll be absolutely fine with this, so stop stressing." He gazes into her eyes. "Will you stop stressing and just go to sleep in my arms, Rach? Please?"

She can't refuse him when he looks at her like that. Inwardly cursing him, she takes several deep breaths, her anxiety slipping away as she composes herself, setting back into his strong, yet comforting, arms.)

With the fourth of July, Finn's second favourite holiday after Christmas, fast approaching, he finally convinces her this will be the _perfect_ time to tell everybody and after some initial reluctance, she agrees.

So here they are. Carole and Burt's annual cookout. About to tell everybody they've been married for the past few weeks and hiding the fact from them (very well, actually, Finn's surprised nobody has found them out or that he hasn't accidentally blurted out the Big News.)

They disembark the train from New York, Kurt and Blaine behind them, Finn lugging Rachel's heavy suitcase (he swears, his wife doesn't even understand the meaning of packing light) and Rachel with Finn's small holdall. They see Carole and Burt standing on the platform, the former waving frantically, and they head towards them. Carole engulfs her son in a hug, and then reciprocates with Rachel.

"It's good to see you, Carole," the small brunette says, grinning at the older woman, her new mother-in-law.

"And you! We've missed you so much," Carole replies, adding on how they should visit Ohio more often, as she does every time she talks to one of her sons or their significant others. She then hugs Kurt and Blaine, who have joined the small group.

"Can we go?" Finn asks, his stomach rumbling.

Rachel rolls her eyes. That man is always hungry. Carole and Burt say they have sandwiches already prepared at the house, a short ten minute drive away, for Finn to eat. He grins and walks towards the car park, Rachel's luggage in one hand, Rachel's hand in the other.

* * *

"So, tell us everything about New York," Carole says later that evening when the sky is turning dark and Burt's firework display is just about to begin. She is sat with Finn, Rachel (who's snuggled up in Finn's old letterman jacket), Hiram and Leroy.

"It's amazing," Rachel gushes. "School is going well and the city is just… perfect. Everything I ever dreamed it would be. The only way it would be better is if I didn't have to share my apartment with this dork," she glances at Finn, a teasing glint in her eye.

"Hey! You weren't saying that when you married me," he replies, feigning annoyance and forgetting everybody else around him, except for Rachel. He is quickly brought back to reality, however, when their parents gasp.

"When you, _what?_ "

"Finn, what are you talking about?"

"YOU'RE MARRIED?"

Everybody in the garden looks over at Hiram's over-excited shout. They all have the same shocked expressions plastered on their faces and in response, Finn simply says,

"Oops? Wasn't supposed to announce it like that." He chuckles, wraps his arm around Rachel's shoulders and kisses the side of her head. "Yeah, Rach and I eloped. You can all close your mouths now."

As the couple face a barrage of questions from their family and friends like "oh my god when did this happen?", "why the hell didn't you tell us?" and, Kurt's, "we live with you! How did we not know?" they simply smile and explain that they didn't want to make it a big deal, they just wanted to marry each other and couldn't wait.

The first fireworks begin to explode and all eyes move away from Finn and Rachel to the night sky, lit with beautiful colours and dancing lights. Rachel snuggles closer to her husband as they watch the display.

If you'd asked her four years ago whether she'd be married to McKinley's star quarterback at the age of twenty, she'd have probably laughed in your face.

She's pretty happy with the way things have turned out, though.

 **2/3 of the chapters posted today, because I want to upload 100 for Valentine's Day and I suck at keeping up with schedules.**


	99. Be careful

**[DISCLAIMER] Glee doesn't belong to me.**

"Be careful," he calls out to his eight month pregnant wife, as she leads Ava through the park.

She shoots a sharp glare at him over her shoulder, before continuing towards the swings, listening to Ava's excited babbles about how high she can go. Honestly, her husband is so overprotective. She's not in any danger, she's simply pushing her daughter on the swings. Having felt pretty crappy for the past week or so, she hasn't been able to spend nearly enough time with her daughter (or out of her bed, for that matter) and she doesn't want her first born to think she's being replaced already, before the baby's even arrived. She wants to have fun with Ava at the park. What's the worst that could happen here? Her husband is ridiculous, she thinks to herself, as Ava launches herself towards the empty swing and Rachel lifts her into the seat. She then walks behind Ava and begins to push her, gently at first and then progressively harder, so their daughter is flying through the air, her musical giggles making Rachel laugh too.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Finn sat at the bench opposite them, his gaze watching her warily, his palms resting against the seat, as if he's ready to jump up to her rescue any second. _Honestly_. She rolls her eyes at her husband's antics. She's pregnant, not sick.

Her phone beeps in her pocket and she pulls it out, shaking her head at the message from Finn:

 _I know you're not sick but you're eight months pregnant with my baby, so no I will not quit worrying. Stop ogling me and pay attention to the swings, baby._

As she reads his words, she feels the wind being knocked out of her and falls to the floor, her centre of gravity having shifted drastically with the size of her baby bump. Damn her husband and his giant genes.

Within moments, said husband's face appears in her line of sight, his expression clearly displaying his worry.

"Rach! Oh my God! Are you ok?" His tone is all high pitched and squeaky - panicked - and he clears his throat before he repeats, "are you ok?"

By now a crowd of concerned faces have appeared around them, all anxious, having witnessed the heavily pregnant woman's fall.

Her cheeks redden until she's pretty sure she's the shade of a tomato and just wants to bury herself in Finn's chest. She can see her husband is on the verge of tears - and their daughter _is_ in tears - so she quickly tells him that, yes, she's absolutely fine and will he get her off the damn ground already.

Gently, he helps her up, his hands not leaving her, even once she's in a standing position, nervous that she's just going to tumble back over. His eyes travel across her body, looking for any outward sign of injury. He doesn't see any. His breath catching in his throat, he asks, "Baby?"

"Fine," she assures him. "Baby's fine."

He releases a deep sigh of relief and kisses her on the forehead. "Thank God you're ok, baby. I _told_ you children's parks were dangerous!"

"You're such a drama queen," she teases, before encouraging Ava into her arms. She hugs the little girl tightly and kisses the top of her head, stroking her back until eventually her tears dissipate. "Mommy's fine, Ava girl. Stop worrying!"

"I'm so sorry," she mumbles, her eyes wide and apologetic.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Finn promises her, kneeling next to his two favourite girls. "It was an accident and nothing bad happened."

"I think I want to go home now, mommy," Ava says quietly, her eyes downcast, her guilt obvious to both parents as she loosens herself from Rachel's embrace and sulks away.

Rachel feels tears well. "Finn, what're we-."

"We'll put Frozen on and give her some chocolate ice cream. She'll be back to her usual bubbly self in no time."

Rachel leans into his side as they leave the park hand-in-hand. "Some chocolate ice cream sounds good, actually."

"Yeah?" He grins, loving the fact that his child is so not about Rachel's vegan diet. "Baby craving ice cream again?"

"Unfortunately."

"Mmm. I think I can give you ice cream if that's what Baby wants. You'll have to repay me though."

"How?"

"Kiss me," he says.

"I think I can handle that," she replies, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Will you fetch me ice cream now?"

He chuckles, deciding to tease her for a little longer. "I need a few more. Just to be sure it's worth it."

She pulls away from him a little, an eyebrow arching. "' _Just to be sure it's worth it?_ ' What? Fulfilling your wife's pregnancy cravings are not worth it to you? It's your fault I'm like this!"

"Takes two to tango, Rach," he smirks, receiving a lethal stare from his wife. He holds up his hands in surrender a moment later, slightly terrified that she might actually kill him. "Ok, ok, I'll get you your chocolate ice cream!"

Her lips curl up in delight, then an idea pops into her head. "Ooh! And strawberry!"

"Chocolate and strawberry it is," he says cheerfully, opening the car door and helping Ava inside.

"And mint," she decides.

"And mint. Looks like we're gonna need to go shopping before we can watch Frozen, baby girl. Mommy's cravings are going crazy again!"

"Be careful, Finn," she says, using his words from earlier. "I may be eight months pregnant, but say I'm crazy again and you'll be in _serious_ trouble."

He gulps and puts the car in reverse, driving towards the nearest supermarket as fast as he can. He buys her chocolate, strawberry, mint and cookie dough, because he knows she loves cookie dough. She cries a bit when she goes through the bag and he shakes his head. He can't wait for this pregnancy to be over.

 **Review?**

 **ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO! I can't believe it!**


	100. I love you

**[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Glee or Faithfully by Journey.**

 **And so we've reached the final chapter, finally the big "I love you"! I thought I'd put my own little spin on THAT scene... Hope you enjoy! :)**

They stand backstage, waiting for their cue to enter the auditorium.

They're singing Faithfully, as part of a Journey medley and Finn is super excited. Not only is this one of his favourite songs, he gets to perform it with Rachel.

 _Rachel._ He glances over at her, standing in front of the other doorway. She's wearing a gold dress, like the rest of the girls. She looks so pretty in it, with her long hair curled like that. He can't help but smile a little. She always looks pretty, whether it's 8am in the morning or late at night after a long rehearsal where she's tired and sweaty. She's so talented, too. He feels confident about Regionals, despite Jesse being back at Vocal Adrenaline and Sue judging and everything seemingly going against them. He feels confident because they have her. She's so talented, one of the most talented singers he's ever heard and she's going to be a star one day. He knows it. Considering her size, her voice is so powerful, so strong, he doesn't know how she does it, but it's wonderful, magical and she amazes him every time she opens her mouth to sing.

Rachel must catch his stare because she looks straight at him. She seems slightly anxious, he thinks; he is, too. He needs to speak to her one last time, to calm his nerves, so he walks towards her and she closes the gap.

"Break a leg," she says, a smile on her face.

He takes a deep breath and blurts out, "I love you."

He hadn't meant to say that.

He was going to wish her luck, tell her how good her singing is, that everything will be ok, and he comes out with _that_.

They haven't been dating long, only a couple of weeks and, yes, they've been best friends for essentially their entire lives but he's never said it before, never actually confessed his love for her. Although, come to think of it, it's probably true. He always gets really, really happy whenever he sees her, or thinks about her, or hears her cute voice down the phone when they talk late into the night. When he sees her, his heart skips a beat and when she holds his hand, a wave of electricity rushes through him. He does, _he loves her_. He loves Rachel Berry. It feels good to admit it to himself after all this time, like a metaphorical weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

She doesn't say anything. Her eyes are wide, nervous almost and he can't read her. He smiles broadly though as he hears the audience clapping, knowing it's nearly time for their duet. He knows Rachel well enough to understand that she sometimes struggles to express her emotions through words, pouring all of her feelings into her music instead.

He walks back to his position and Rachel returns to hers.

He's ready. They're going to sing Faithfully and win Regionals and everything is going to be ok with Glee and he loves Rachel Berry.

He hears the opening sounds of the song ring out through the auditorium, takes one final deep breath, opens his door and begins to sing,

 _Highway run, into the midnight sun,_

 _Wheels go round and round you're on my mind…_

Then Rachel's voice comes in, so beautiful and he knows he is truly in love with her, he knows it more than anything else in the world.

 _Restless hearts sleep alone tonight,_

 _Sending all my love along the wire…_

Their voices join together, intertwining perfectly with the other and he realises, with the way Rachel's looking at him, singing this song to him, that she loves him, too.

 _They say that the road ain't no place to start a family,_

 _Right down the line it's been you and me,_

 _And loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be…_

 _Oh boy, you stand by me…_

 _I'm forever yours…_

 _Faithfully._

 **FIN.**

 **I can't believe it's over! I've been working on this story for like six months and I honestly had no idea it would get such an amazing response, so THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! All of your lovely comments make me so happy and I really appreciate each and every one of you who has read/reviewed/followed/favourited this story - it means the world to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**


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